Author: Craig Halloran
Date: 2015-08-28 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Fantasy
Description: The search begins ...Nath Dragon triumphed over his greatest foe, Gorn Grattack, bringing peace and order back to the world of Nalzambor ... mostly.Now, bored of ruling from the Dragon throne, Nath and his dwarven comrade Brenwar Bolderguild, set out to solve one of the greatest mysteries of all. Who and where is Nath's mother? Does she even exist? Is she imprisoned?Still yet, evil is far from vanquished. It lurks in the caves, the mountains, the shadows and in deep in the hearts of all the races. It's not long before it takes on a new powerful manifestation, a breed of dragons the likes never
Publisher: Two-Ten Book Press

Tail of the Dragon

The Chronicles of Dragon, Series 2, Book 1

By Craig Halloran

Tail of the Dragon

The Chronicles of Dragon, Series 2, Book 1

By Craig Halloran

Copyright © August 2015 by Craig Halloran

Amazon Edition

TWO-TEN BOOK PRESS

P.O. Box 4215, Charleston, WV 25364

ISBN eBook: 978-1-941208-33-5

ISBN Paperback: 978-1-941208-34-2
http://www.thedarkslayer.net

Cover Illustration by Joe Shawcross

Map by Gillis Bjork

Edited by Cherise Kelley

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recorded, photocopied, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Publisher's Note

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

CHAPTER 1

“Come on, Brenwar. Hurry up,” Nath said, staring down over the rocky edge of a mountainside. Below, Brenwar’s meaty mitts tugged hand over hand at the rocks. Sweat beaded his forehead. The brisk winds tore through his gray-streaked black beard. “I’m getting hungry.”

Brenwar glared up at him. “I’ll get there in my own good time. Why don’t you go scarf down some cattle or something?”

Nath’s golden dragon eyes widened. “Are you taking a poke at me?”

Brenwar didn’t respond. The powerful frame of a dwarf continued his agonizing pace up the steep mountainside. Below him were endless miles of lush green countryside. It would be an hour before he caught up with Nath.

“Great,” Nath said, turning his serpentine head away and facing the top rocks of the mountain. He took his anger out on Brenwar, but they both knew he was really mad at Selene. After all they’d been through to stop Gorn Grattack, a year ago she’d up and left. It still deeply hurt him she’d done that. No explanation. Not a word.

On all fours, Nath weaved his way through the trees like a great cat, his dragon paws leaving deep impressions in the ground. He sat back on his haunches and leaned his scaled dragon frame against the tall rocks, eyeing his prints. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.”

Nath was all dragon now, from his smoking nostrils to the tip of his lightning-quick tail. He was bigger than a team of horses, and though still graceful as a gazelle, he wasn’t entirely accustomed to his huge body yet. He puffed out a fiery smoke ring. It floated high in the air before descending over a tree and turning it into ash. “I’m big. I’m astounding. I love it.”

He clicked his claws together in admiration. Some were bigger than a man’s arm. Sharper than elven steel. His scales were alabaster flecked with bronze now. A flame-red streak raced down from the middle of his horns to the middle of his back. His wings were red and folded tight over his back. He lifted his chin toward the sky, thinking it was true, what his father, Balzurth, had once said: “The land was made for men, the sky for dragons.”

Nath’s stomach rumbled. “Guzan, I can’t believe I’m hungry already. I ate ten cows yesterday.” He rubbed the scales on his belly. “I like food as much as anyone, but this is ridiculous.” He snorted some air into his nostrils. His scaly brow started to crease. “Nothing worth eating up here unless I rustle up a thousand squirrels and chipmunks.”

Nath pushed off the rocks and flattened himself so that his iron-hard belly hung inches over the ground. Head low and with his horns flared out over his back, he approached the rim of the mountain again. Brenwar had made little progress. “I’m going to eat,” Nath called down to the dwarf. “Eh, so don’t fall or anything.”

“Like you care if I fall or not,” Brenwar grunted.

“Oh, it’s not you I’m worried about. It’s the mountain.” Nath’s chuckles rumbled. “I’m off.” He pushed off the edge and darted down the mountainside, zooming by Brenwar. Hearing his friend let out a startled curse, Nath spread his wings out and took flight, laughing.

The wind ripped through his earholes. A split second later he was soaring high in the sky. The mountaintops and farmlands, far below, looked like little more than a map on a table.

Nath let out an exhilarating roar. “Mah-hoooooooooooo!”

Cutting through the clouds, Nath spun, dove, climbed, and dove again. There was nothing like flying. Even the best days walking the land were not even close. Minutes into the flight, miles away from where he’d started, his keen dragon eyes spotted a herd of cattle roaming the land.

“Ah, dinner.”

Circling lower toward the earth, he looked to see if any people were tending these cows. Nath took no pleasure in eating what people had rustled for themselves, unless it was absolutely necessary. So far, it had not been. Ranchers from all the races needed meat, but there were still plenty of wild herds for him to go around and feast on.

A flicker of movement caught his eye. There were men. Some on horseback and others walking.

“Blast my hide!” he said, hovering just below the clouds. “And I’m getting really hungry too. Wait a second.” He sniffed the air. “Oh, I know that foul aroma. Those aren’t men. Those are orcs.” He clutched his claws and dove toward the ground with a broad grin full of teeth showing on his maw. “Perfect.”

Nath’s shadow fell upon the orcs.

Their necks snapped up. Their yellow eyes filled with surprise.

Nath buzzed over the tops of two orcs’ heads, knocking them both from their saddles.

The horses galloped away. The orcs scrambled.

Nath let out a roar so terrifying the ground shook.

Orcs clasped their grubby hands over their ears and fell to their knees. One of them found the courage to rise to his feet and face Nath with his spear.

It’s always the stupidest ones that are the bravest.

The orc, little more than a morsel in Nath’s midst, marched forward. Its head hung low, and its spear was gripped with white knuckles. It was stout and sweaty, more so than the common orc. A brawler.

Really. Nath shook his head. Being king, I really think I should be able to kill them. It would almost be worth doing if they had some flavor to them. Ew! I really hope I don’t get so hungry that I eat foul beasts.

The orc continued his march through the tall meadow.

If I were a man, I’d gladly pummel you with my fists, but I don’t have time for that. He unleashed his tail. Swat!

The orc flipped head over heels and crashed into the ground.

Nath prowled over. Using his clawed hand, he plucked the orc up from the ground by the leg and dangled it in front of his face. Nath shook the orc a few times and flicked him like a toy far aside.

And to think I used to struggle with those smelly things. Oh well. Nath dusted off his paws. He turned and gazed over the rolling hills. The cattle were grazing again, not too far away. There were hundreds of them. Nath’s eyes glazed over.

Thoom!

Nath stretched up his long neck. What was that?

Suddenly, mounds of dirt exploded near the cattle. Great men emerged from the ground, taller than trees and hewn from mighty frames as big as Nath himself.

Great Guzan! Giants!

CHAPTER 2

Earth giants. Big and Nasty was an understatement for their kind. The towering men stood more than twenty feet tall. They were built like mountains, and their faces were covered in dark, coarse beards. The ground shook as they closed in on the cattle and began snatching them up one by one. One of them, covered in furs for clothing, dropped a cow into his mouth and swallowed it whole.

“THAT’S MY DINNER!” Nath roared.

The giants froze and turned to face him, their eyes widening underneath their bushy brows and revealing an evil glimmer of yellow. The second giant stuffed a cow into his mouth, chewed it up, and swallowed. Then the pair of them rose to their full height and started to spread out, flanking Nath.

They’re both as big as me. This should be interesting.

The cattle made their escape, pressing through the tall grasses and out of sight. The giants grumbled back and forth to each other, hands clutching in and out, eyes wary. It was only the dragons that ever rivaled them in size. The giants hated that. For the most part, they hated everything. They were the big bullies in Nalzambor.

Nath flashed his claws and let out another roar of warning. I can at least give them a chance. They don’t want to mess with this dragon.

The giants pulled their shoulders back and closed in. Evil leers formed on their disturbing faces.

I expected as much.

Nath’s golden eyes narrowed. He let out a small blast of fire.

Good.

The giants circled him. Their hands became monster-sized hammers. They started hooting at him. An odd sound. Weird, yet threatening. Brimming with confidence, their voices became louder. More disturbing.

Nath cocked his serpentine head. Strange and ugly. I almost feel sorry for them. No wonder the dwarves hate them so. They remind me of oversized orcs.

The ground rumbled beneath his feet. Hands and arms burst from underneath like massive tree roots. Powerful fingers locked onto his tail and jerked him backward.

Nath stumbled. Blast!

Another giant bearded head emerged from the ground and spat out a mouthful of dirt.

Nath tried to shake out of its grasp.

The other two giants leapt on top of him and began hammering away at his body.

Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham!

The first blow caught Nath square in the jaw. The next shots landed hard on his belly, knocking the wind out of him. Besieged by monsters just as big as him, he found himself in a fight for his very life.

The blows kept coming. Hard. Furious. All giants were brawlers. Fearless. Only the grave could take the fight out of them.

Great Guzan! I’m getting whipped!

Nath shook the stars from his vision. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a giant fist coming down fast. Nath struck back like a snake, clamping his powerful jaws down on the giant’s arm.

The giant let out a pain-filled yelp. Using its free arm, it started pounding on Nath’s face.

That was a mistake.

Nath drew a deep snort of air in his nose and summoned his fire. The giant’s arm that he clenched between his teeth erupted into flame and quickly turned to ash.

The giant staggered back, gaping at his missing arm.

That’ll teach him.

The other giants were unrelenting. One still had Nath’s tail locked up in its fists. The others continued to hammer away. Nath’s scales shook under the force of the blows. A hundred mules didn’t kick so hard. Every punch shook his dragon bones.

Enough of this!

Nath lashed out. His clawed forearms ripped through the skin and furs of one giant’s chest.

It let out an angry grunt and locked onto Nath’s neck. It put Nath in a headlock and started to squeeze.

The threesome thrashed on the ground, shaking the earth. The giants were great wrestlers. They had a natural knack for grappling. They tried to snap Nath in half like a twig.

Nath twisted and clawed. His muscles strained with effort.

Guzan! Nath’s temper went red. Blast it! I’m the King of the Dragons!

With a tremendous heave, he ripped his neck free of the first giant’s grasp. Rearing his head up eye to eye with the colossal man, he unleashed his inferno. A white-hot stream of yellow fire burst out of his mouth, covering the giant in flames.

In most circumstances, giants didn’t burn. But in this case, Nath’s fire, hotter than the hottest dwarven forge, could burn anything.

The giant’s body turned into a pile of ash and bones.

Still seeing red with rage, Nath whirled on the giant that was still tugging on his tail.

Catching the fatal look in Nath’s eyes, it dove for cover into the ground where it had come from.

Nath filled it with fire, and then eyeing the crater of flame, he let out a mighty roar.

“Mah-Roooooooooo!”

A rustling caught his ear. His head whipped around.

The last surviving giant, the one missing its arm, was trying to dig its way back into the dirt. It caught Nath’s eye, and its one good arm started digging faster.

Nath shot across the tall grass, spread his wings, and dug his back talons into the giant’s shoulders. Wings beating, he ascended high into the air with the heavy earth giant in tow. He rose high above the clouds, ignoring the giant’s angry cries.

Oh, be silent!

Nath was out of danger now, yet his temper had not cooled. He wanted to drop the giant. Let the evil creature plunge to its death. That would be a far more merciful fate than what he had bestowed on its comrades.

After all, the giants would have killed him. Skinned him. Eaten him if they could have. The great monsters were killers, said to be irredeemable.

Still, deep inside, Nath knew that would be wrong. He heard his father’s words.

Take the high road.

He shook his head and glanced down at the giant. There was no pleading in its eyes, just anger. Hatred. It lashed out with its only hand again and again.

Sometimes I hate the high road.

Nath flew mile after mile until he came to a high and snowy peak and dropped the giant deep into the snow-covered banks. Without looking back, he returned to where the cattle grazed. Now even hungrier than before, he stuffed himself full.

Still, letting that lone one-armed giant live lingered. It was a knot nagging under his jaw.

CHAPTER 3

“You did what!” Brenwar said, jumping to his feet.

Nath didn’t want to tell him about the giants, but the dwarf was always good at knowing when he was holding something back. “It was as if I’d gone looking for them. They just appeared. Erupted, rather, right in the middle of the field.”

Brenwar gripped his war hammer in front of his chest and started to stomp around the woodland. “You can’t fight giants without me. You just can’t. It’s wrong. Wrong.” His hand tugged at his beard. “You should’ve come back and gotten me!”

“It was leagues away,” Nath said, trying to sound reassuring. “Besides, they jumped me.” He rubbed his jaw with his paws. “It wasn’t an ordinary scrap, you know. They were tough. Caught me off guard, but I handled them.” He puffed out a fire ring. “They’re Nalzambor fertilizer now. Well, except one.”

Brenwar turned and faced him. He lifted a brow. “One? What one?”

Nath inspected his dragon claws. Is that a chip? Blast!

Brenwar marched over and poked Nath in the leg with his hammer. “What! One!”

“Uh, the one I dropped off in the snowcaps. It won’t be much of a bother now. And he’s only got one arm left.”

“You fool!” Brenwar blurted out.

Nath reared up. “What did you call me?”

Brenwar took a step back, glanced up at him, then glanced back down. “I apologize.”

Nath sighed. Certainly Brenwar meant well, but things had changed. Nath was the ruler of the dragons now and had to be treated accordingly. An outburst like that would be costly in front of others. “You’re fortunate no one else is around, aside from the trees.”

“Punish me,” Brenwar said. There was a sad tone in his voice. “It must be done. I never would have spoken to your father like that. And if I had, I’d have been ash.”

“True. Either that, or he might have told you one of his hundred-year-long stories.” Nath nudged Brenwar with his tail, knocking the stalwart dwarf over. “How’s that for punishment?”

Lying flat on his belly, Brenwar said, “You’re too merciful.”

“Oh, am I? I guess I’ll have to make the punishment more severe, then.”

Brenwar took a knee and bowed his head. “As you wish, Sire.”

Nath raised his tail to strike. Of course, he’d never harm a friend, even in the worst of cases. But still, he was the King Dragon now. Even on a rogue adventure, there had to be some form of order. Even for Brenwar, and the battle-hardened dwarven warrior knew that. Still, it made Nath uneasy. His stomach fluttered. He had subjects now, so things weren’t the same as they had been. Brenwar and many others treated him differently now. It left him feeling isolated.

“First, Brenwar, tell me, why did you call me ‘Fool’?”

“Er, the earth giants, well, they hold grudges. And they are tight knit. They’ll summon all their clans to avenge their fallen. It would have been better if you’d killed them all.”

“Has anyone ever made the right decision every time?”

“Your father did.”

Nath huffed. It was hard to argue that his father Balzurth hadn’t always made the right decision every time, seeing how Nath had never really seen his father do much of anything at all. However, of one thing he was certain: his father’s word was without question. “Not that you have seen, anyway,” Nath replied. “So, perhaps I’ll revisit the snowcaps and finish what I started, then?”

“Don’t bother, Sire,” Brenwar said with an increasing frown. “He’s long gone by now. I’m certain of it. Besides, we have things to do.” His dwarven breastplate reflected the sun’s light when he turned and faced what looked to be an abandoned temple of some kind. There, large piles of rubble and stone pylons had toppled over and become covered in overgrown brush. Brenwar started toward it, stopped, and said, “With your permission, of course, Sire?”

“Nath, Brenwar.”

“Aye.”

“And Brenwar, what about the earth giants. Is there truly a dire concern?”

“No doubt there will be,” he said, pushing through the brush. “But it will take time. They aren’t quick about such things. They’ll plan, then strike. And all of Nalzambor will know.”

“That sounds severe. I’d just as soon prevent it.”

“Pah. If you wanted to prevent it …” Brenwar’s voice trailed off.

“Oh come now, Brenwar. Speak freely. Though I’ve often wished you had a bridled tongue, I value your wisdom.”

Brenwar climbed up on a pile of busted stones and met Nath’s dragon face eye to eye. “The giants couldn’t have eaten all the cattle, could they?”

“Their bellies were quite formidable.”

“You should have left well enough alone. Let them have their fill and moved on. But you couldn’t, could you? Itching for a fight you were.”

“And you wouldn’t have been?”

“Of course. But I’d have planned it better. Let them eat, get fat, and be slow. They just bury themselves in the deep dirt again. They rest for years, even decades, you know. But now, they have a cause.”

“Are you telling me my actions might have cataclysmic consequences?” Nath asked.

“Probably.” Brenwar hopped to the ground and headed back into the ruins.

Nath lumbered in behind him. With ease he pushed the piles of rocks and fallen trees aside. “I think you’re exaggerating, Brenwar. Just trying to teach me a lesson.”

“We’ll see,” the dwarf said. “We’ll see.”

CHAPTER 4

Brenwar turned his head over his shoulder and gazed up at Nath Dragon. Over the decades, he’d gotten accustomed to Balzurth’s mighty dragon frame. The king dragon’s presence was warm and radiant, but one had to be mindful in his presence. Balzurth’s very voice could shatter a man’s bones.

Things were different now with Nath. His friend, covered in supine armored scales, had grown into nothing short of the magnificent presence that his father was. Nath was a beautiful work. A giant lizard that moved with cat-like grace. His voice was strong and reassuring. Nath was all the right things in one. Still, Brenwar’s chest tightened. His heart ached. His best friend had grown up on him, and it wouldn’t be long before he’d move on. Spend more time with his own kind. Brenwar was certain of it.

“Sire, er, I mean Nath, I’m going to venture into the bowels of the ruined mess, if that’s all right by you?”

Nath’s armored frame eased to the ground, becoming one with the mountainside. He eyed Brenwar and said with a yawn, “You do that, Brenwar. Just yell if you need me. Whew, those cattle sure were filling. I think I’ll sit and listen to the birds for a bit.”

“Well, don’t fall asleep. The last time you went out, more than a month passed by.” Brenwar hefted the war hammer over his shoulder. “And I’m not getting any younger. I’ve only a few hundred years still in me, if that.”

“Oh, Brenwar, you’ll never die. Your bones are too bitter for the grave.”

“If you say so, Nath.” Brenwar marched off. After he’d gone a few hundred yards, he began chucking away the stones that lay over some kind of buried entrance. With a grunt he pushed away a rock bigger than him and found himself gazing at a pewter portal wide enough for a large man to fit through. It was round and marked in ancient script. He didn’t know the writing. There were two handles on it. He clutched his beard. “I sense treachery.”

“What was that, Brenwar?” Nath said from far away. “Treachery, you say?”

“Probably nothing, just a marker. I’m assuming there’s another vault below. Probably filled with goblin bones or some other kind of stupid.” He started to tug on the handles. “I got it.” He strained and grunted. The pewter door groaned but didn’t give. “Ugh!” Brenwar spat on his hand and renewed his grip on the handles. He put his back and short, powerful legs into it. “Hurk!”

The door didn’t yield.

“Perhaps I can help,” said Nath’s voice.

Brenwar turned and jumped half out of his boots. Nath’s nose was in his face. “Quit doing that!”

“Doing what?”

“You know, sneaking.” Brenwar ran his eyes up and down Nath’s huge body. “I don’t know how you do that, but it’s aggravating.”

“Maybe you’re losing your hearing, Brenwar.” Nath tapped his dragon claw on his temple. “Too many blows to the head, perhaps.”

I’d like to give you a blow to the head, Brenwar thought.

Nath’s golden eyes narrowed on him.

Brenwar swallowed.

“Here, let me try,” Nath said. He wedged one claw under one handle on the pewter portal and popped it off with a flick.

A rush of stale air burst out.

Nath dangled the portal door in front of Brenwar’s eyes. “Here you go.”

“I loosened it for you.” Brenwar leaned over and peered down into the hole. He said to Nath, “Don’t suppose you can squeeze down in there, too, can you?”

Nath took a snort of air into his nostrils. “Nothing but the malodorous dead down there. You might want to be careful.” He flipped the pewter portal door like a coin and watched it land on the ground. He eyed the markings. “Huh, these runes have patterns similar to some we’ve seen before. How old is Nalzambor, anyway?”

Brenwar rubbed his forehead with his fingers. That same question had often been asked. No one knew the answer for sure, but the dwarven histories dated back a few thousand years—and no further than that. “So you’re saying you can’t read it?”

“No, I can’t. But I can only assume that it’s a warning. You’d better be careful.”

Brenwar peered back into the hole again. The last time he’d crawled into one, he almost hadn’t made it back out. “You could come too, you know.”

“But it’s so agonizing to change back into a human. You know that. Besides, we’d be able to cover more distance if you’d just ride on my back,” Nath said.

“Dwarves don’t fly.”

“I could insist that you do it.”

“Well, I’d prefer you didn’t.” Out of his rucksack, Brenwar produced a tiny lantern attached to a string. He tapped on its side three times, and its fire came to life. Hand over hand, he lowered it into the hole. “Besides, I like long walks. You used to, too.”

With a matter-of-fact tone in his voice, Nath said, “Those days are gone, Brenwar. I’m a dragon now. And we have a lot of ground to cover in this search for my mother. At this rate, it’ll be a hundred years before we even find a clue. Of which, well, we have very little already.” Nath slumped down on his belly. “Oh, I don’t even know why I’m bothering. If my mother really is out there, you’d think she’d try to find me.”

“You can’t think like that,” Brenwar said, eyeing Nath. He noticed a deep crease forming between the eyes and horns of Nath’s head. “I’m sure if she could, she would.”

“It’s futile. It’s been a year, and we haven’t found a thing.”

“Nothing is futile, not for a dragon such as you, anyway. And we have found some things.”

Nath rolled over on his back and gazed up at the sky. “Sure, a bunch of old pottery from civilizations long past. How exciting. Huff.”

Brenwar’s stomach started to knot. Sure, he didn’t want to fly on Nath’s huge dragon back, but he didn’t want the quest to find Nath’s mother to end too soon, either. He enjoyed his adventures with Nath, but now, he felt those grand times were fading. Times that would never come back again.

“If you like, you can scan for some other sights. I don’t think we’ll find much here.”

Nath didn’t reply.

So far, their journeys had been pretty exciting and eventful for Brenwar. He enjoyed traversing into places he’d never been before. And they had a great system going, too. Flying above, Nath would scour the mountain ranges and pick up anything interesting with his keen eyes. They’d already found dozens of ruins and temples that were long forgotten. Brenwar had even dug up some lost treasures, and he liked that. But their search for signs of Nath’s mother was fruitless, and they only had one clue to go on. It was a message that Balzurth had left. It said, “What you seek is in the peaks.” That was all.

“I’m going in,” Brenwar said, glancing back at Nath. “Don’t run off, now.” He dangled his legs over and found footing on the iron rungs inside. He began his descent. Something shot out from below and snagged his leg. Thwiip! “What in the—ulp!”

CHAPTER 5

Nath sat up. “Brenwar?” Tilting his head, he picked up the sounds of a violent rustling down inside the hole. “Brenwar!”

“Nath!” his friend bellowed out.

Nath leaned over the portal. Something big darted out and jumped on his nose. It was a tarantula-like creature, but it had scales and a dragon’s tail. The fangs in its mouth dripped with venom that sizzled on Nath’s scales. Its many eyes, deep red and beaded, glared at him. It struck, sinking its fangs into his nose.

The venom burned.

Nath’s eyes watered.

He snatched the dragon spider by the tail and slammed it into the ground. “You little fiend!”

The monster, about the size of Brenwar, zinged spider silk into a nearby tree and started to scurry away.

“Oh no you don’t,” Nath said. Like a mighty whip, he unleashed his tail. He smote the dragon spider across its back and smashed it into the ground.

The spider spat a ball of venom on Nath, stinging his toes.

“Ow. Blast you, insect!” He snatched up the dragon spider in his claws and squeezed.

Its body squished and crunched.

Nath wiped the dragon spider off his paws and onto the grasses.

Its scaly skin was intact, but the goo was squished out of it.

“Yuck.”

“For Morgdon!” Brenwar bellowed from inside the hole.

The ground shook.

Krang!

Wary-eyed, Nath looked back inside the hole. The lantern was out, but Nath could make out something still moving below.

Suddenly, the lantern was aglow again and Brenwar held it in his hand. His shoulders were sagging.

“Brenwar, are you all right?”

Brenwar started up out of the hole. He was moving slowly, even for him. He emerged. His armor was splashed with dragon spider guts. He staggered over and leaned against a rock. War Hammer hung loose in his hand, and his breathing was heavy.

“Brenwar, you don’t look well.” Nath took a closer look. Brenwar’s skin was pale. Clammy. “By the Flames! Your hand!”

The skin on Brenwar’s hand was purple and bloated.

“Just a little spider bite,” Brenwar mumbled. I’ll be fine.”

But Nath could tell that the dwarf was not fine. His friend and oldest ally smelled of decay. Nath narrowed his eyes and focused. With his special dragon sight, he could see that the spider venom was eating Brenwar up from the inside. It was happening at a very alarming rate. Oh no! Brenwar’s arm was beginning to disintegrate!

“Brenwar, the chest! Get the chest!”

The dwarf fumbled with his belt pouch. His eyes were glassy, his pupils wide and dark black. He collapsed face first on the ground.

“Brenwar!”

Nath’s heart raced. He rolled Brenwar over and tried to open up his belt pouch. His claws were far too big. I’ve got to change. I’ve got to change now! Guzan!

Changing back into a man took time and a great deal of concentration. If he did it more often, it wouldn’t be so bad, but it had been a long time since he’d been a man.

Think, Dragon. Think!

A thought struck him.

He let out a dragon squawk. A call for help. “Ka-Kwak! Ka-Kwak! Ka-Kwak!”

In times past, the cry for help wouldn’t have done him much good. The dragons had ignored him for the first two hundred years of his life, but those fences had been mended. He was their king now. He nuzzled Brenwar’s body close to his.

Brenwar’s eyes blinked rapidly.

“Hold on, Brenwar. Hold on.”

Brenwar’s forehead burst out in beads of feverish sweat. He let out a painful groan. “Ooooh!”

I’ve got to change. I’ve got to change. Holding Brenwar tight, Nath closed his eyes and started to meditate. Despite all his power, Nath hadn’t often taken the liberty of exercising his gifts. In truth, he had many that he still needed to discover for himself.

Right now, he could only hope some other dragons could come to his aid, because by the time he changed, it would probably be too late.

Brenwar’s thunderous heartbeat had slowed.

Come on, Nath. Change. Change!

“Squawk-Chirble!”

Nath’s eyes popped open at the unforeseen sound. A small dragon, little bigger than a dog, stood on its hind legs at his feet. It was a green lily dragon, rich forest green with a paler shade on her belly. Her eyes were lashed, a golden brown, and pretty.

Nath spoke to her in Dragonese. “I need you to open his pouches. Search for a small box in there.”

“I’d be honored to assist the Son of Balzurth, my liege Nath Dragon,” she replied in a very polished Dragonese voice. Her tiny paws rummaged through Brenwar’s pouches and produced a wooden chest just big enough for a large ring. “Is this what you seek?”

“It is,” Nath said, eyeing it. It was Bayzog who had shrunk it down to that size. There was a particular word that would make it grow back to normal size, and Nath hadn’t been paying attention when it was said. “Ah, forgive me, Brenwar. I can’t remember the word.”

The green lily cocked her head and said in the direction of Brenwar. “Is this dwarf important to you?”

“Of course. He’s my friend.”

“Why?” she said.

“Oh, it’s a long story and we’re running out of time. He’s been poisoned.” Nath sighed. “I fear he doesn’t have much time. Blast my scales. I can’t remember the word.”

The green lily turned and faced him with her little paws clasped together. She looked like a princess on her hind legs. “Is there anything else I can assist you with, Dragon Prince?”

“I need the chest open. I need a cure for that dragon spider poison.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t help you with that,” she said. “It was a pleasure to meet you. May I be dismissed?”

“What? No! I need you to administer the potions once I get the chest open. Ugh!” He slammed his tail hard into the ground.

Boom!

Brenwar’s heartbeat continued to slow and weaken.

If Nath could have perspired, he’d have been covered in sweat.

This is my fault. All my fault. Here I am the king of the dragons, and I’m not even paying attention.

He let out a roar. “Maaarrroooooooo!”

“Nath Dragon,” he said to himself out loud, “what have you been doing?”

CHAPTER 6

The chest popped open.

It started to grow.

Nath gaped. What had he said that triggered it? “All I said was, ‘What have you been doing?’” His thoughts were strained. A bright moment hit him. “Been! It was Ben! They sound the same. Ha! How simple! I’m such a fool.” Relieved, he gave the green lily her next orders. “See those vials? I need the yellow one.”

The green lily picked up one of the vials from the drawers that folded out like an old fisherman’s chest. She held it up. It was yellow and milky in color.

Nath shook his head and said, “No, the golden one.”

She picked up another and held it out for display.

“No, the more golden one.”

She sighed and plucked out the last possible candidate.

“That’s it, now carefully pour it over his lips. He has to drink it down, all of it. Plus, he needs another.” His eyes scoured the chest that was still plenty tiny to him. “Oh, I need something to battle the poison. Which one is it? Which one is it?”

There were more than thirty vials, in a multitude of colors. Bright purples and lavenders. Velvety red. Orange that was swirled with black. Others cracked with tiny lightning in the bottle. In truth, Nath had little need for such things these days. There wasn’t anything he knew of that he couldn’t handle himself. “Ah, I think it’s that one. At least I hope it is. Feed him that one.”

The green lily slipped out a vial that was filled with a mix of pink and gray. “Are you certain?” she asked with a furrowed brow.

Brenwar’s heart had almost stopped beating.

“I have to be,” Nath said. “I have to be.”

The green lily climbed up on Brenwar’s chest, removed the cork, and pulled back Brenwar’s lips with her free hand. Carefully, she poured the entire vial into his mouth. She replaced the cork and said to Nath, “May I go now, Sire?”

Most dragons had no attachment at all to the other races. Of course, much of that could probably be explained because of their persecution. Still, it rubbed Nath the wrong way. Fighting back the urge to rebuke her in some fashion, he said, “Yes, go. And thank you.”

Her wings fanned out. Her lithe frame leapt from Brenwar’s chest and into the air. A few graceful flaps of her wings followed, and she was gone.

Dragons. I hope I never feel as they do.

Brenwar coughed and sputtered.

Nath leaned down and propped him up against a fallen log.

His friend’s heartbeat had steadied, but it was still weak.

Come on, Brenwar. Come on.

***

It was a long night. A long week. Brenwar hadn’t awakened. He breathed, shuddered, and coughed occasionally. Nath stayed close the entire time. He pushed over some trees and started a fire. He did his best to keep Brenwar free of the chills. Still in the full body of a dragon, he wrestled in thought whether he should turn back to a man or not.

If I had been in the form of a man, as Brenwar requested, I might have saved him.

He lay near Brenwar, watching his every movement. Counting the heartbeats in his chest. They were slow and steady. A good sign. Good enough for Brenwar to awaken by now, but he hadn’t. It was puzzling. Frustrating.

This is my fault.

Nath realized he’d taken for granted his own power and forgotten about the fragility of the other races. Perhaps that was why dragons were so distant from the men and women of the world. They just didn’t last as long. They didn’t have the same protection. Their thin skins were nothing compared to a dragon’s steel-hard scales. Their lives could so easily be snuffed out in an instant.

He put his paw on Brenwar’s chest and felt its rise and fall. There was a rasp in his breathing. Nath didn’t doubt that the dragon spider’s poison had gone straight to the heart. If anything, it was a miracle that Brenwar lived. He could thank his dwarven constitution for that.

Should I take him to Morgdon? To the elves, perhaps. They have the best healers, but Brenwar would want to kill me if I did that.

Nath batted the idea back and forth, a hundred times if not a thousand. Yet he remained where he was, certain that Brenwar would wake up. And he didn’t want to fly with Brenwar, either. It might prove too much of a strain, and Brenwar would be furious if he did. “I’d rather die than fly,” Brenwar had once said. Nath chose to honor that.

So Nath waited and waited. He pondered their mission. The search for his mother. His father Balzurth had told him that he’d have the power to find her, but he’d given only the one tiny hint beyond that. Traveling with Brenwar was slow, but for a dragon, a creature that seemed to have all the time in the world, it wasn’t so bad. Nath wasn’t even two hundred and fifty years old yet, and he had at least two thousand more years to go. But so far, this adventure hadn’t been quite as exhilarating as the ones before. Of course, the battle with the earth giants had been nice. The battle with the dragon spiders not so much. He eyed the portal.

Dragon spiders. Of all the luck.

That was another mystery that Nath had to ponder. Dragon spiders were just as rare as dragons themselves. Even rarer. They weren’t all good or all evil, either. In many cases, they were guardians of precious things and even used by the dragons themselves. Oft times they could be found guarding dragon eggs while dragons hunted. But it took a great deal of power to employ the service of dragon spiders. And Nath was certain that they weren’t in the portal by accident. Something meaningful, perhaps more so for men than for dragons, was in that vault.

Not that it matters. I’m sure it won’t have anything to do with my mother. Probably some withered lich’s treasure hoard.

Nath studied the hard lines in Brenwar’s face. He knew every weathered crease. He was certain he’d caused at least a dozen of them himself. He’d even seen three new ones form during one conversation. Nath chuckled. “Hah, Brenwar. You wouldn’t have any gray at all if it weren’t for me. It suits you well, though. Now, wake up. If you don’t, I’m liable to do something stupid. And you wouldn’t want that, now, would you?” He listened to Brenwar’s heartbeat.

It was slow.

Thump-thump … thump-thump … thump-thump …

“Boy, I think I can hear some giants nearby. Oh my, I can see them. Lords no! They are juggling dwarves!”

Thump-thump … thump-thump … thump-thump …

“Oh my goodness,” Nath continued, “I thought I’d never see the day. My, how the world has changed since you took your name. Your sister, Ellgall, is finally going to marry. But her groom isn’t of the standard groomsman fare. No, she’s different. Of course you always knew that. Aye, I can see him standing at the altar waiting for her now, except he’s much taller than a typical dwarf. But I’m sure it will work out. I just never thought I’d see the day when a dwarven maiden, your sister Ellgall, married an orc.”

Thump-thump … thump-thump … thump-thump …

Nath’s head hung low.

CHAPTER 7

Nath flattened his body down on the ground with Brenwar between him and the fire. He listened to his friend’s heartbeat. He could feel it in his bones. Every beat seemed like the last, leaving him restless. And then—

Thump-thump-thump-Thump!

Brenwar’s eyes popped open. His mouth parted. “Orc! Ellgall!” He sat upright. Bleary eyed, he looked around. “Where is the rotten beast?”

“Brenwar!” Nath said with elation. “You’re back!”

The old dwarf scrambled to his feet, only to teeter over and bump his head on a log.

“You’d better take it easy,” Nath said. With his tail he helped Brenwar to his feet. “Don’t overdo it.”

Brenwar blinked and slowly spun around. “Harrumph. I must have been dreaming. I don’t see any orcs. Or Ellgall.” He clawed at his beard, looked up at Nath, and said, “What happened?”

“The dragon spider’s poison took you. About a week ago. I thought you were through.”

The chestnut eyes under Brenwar’s bushy brows popped wide. “A week!” His hands clutched at his beard. “Blast my beard! Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“You know I certainly tried, Brenwar, but you were sleeping like a petrified log,” Nath said, stretching his wings out a little and folding them back. “How do you feel?”

“Mmmmm, I’m so hungry I could eat an ogre.”

“That can be arranged.” Nath’s serpentine head twisted around. His eyes scanned the surroundings. “I’d be happy to fetch some goats, or a stag.”

“I can do it myself—Oof.” Brenwar’s face turned sour. He rubbed one hand through his beard, then rubbed his temples with his fingers. “Something feels funny.” He held one hand in front of his face. It was the one the spider had bitten. There was no skin or muscle, only bone. “Gah!”

“Easy, Brenwar,” Nath said. “I can explain.”

“I’m dead, aren’t I! You brought me back from the dead! Why did you do that? I deserve a proper burial. A grand tomb and plenty of rest!”

“You aren’t dead, Brenwar. Again, let me explain.”

Brenwar’s eyes studied his one hand beside the other. His left hand was just fine, filled with strong, stubby fingers. The other, his right, was pure bone with big knuckles. He opened and closed it. His eyes filled with astonishment. He tipped his head up toward Nath. “What did you do?”

“Well,” Nath said, coughing a little, “I may have gotten the potions mixed up a bit. Or perhaps the application was wrong.” He made a remorseful face. “Seems I had you swallow what should have been applied, but it wasn’t easy, and there wasn’t much time. At least you live.”

Brenwar’s hard eyes filled with surprise. His brows clenched up and down. His eyes fastened on his skeleton hand. He mumbled something.

“What was that?” Nath asked.

In a low voice, Brenwar said something again. In Dwarven.

Nath’s dragon lips turned up. “If I’m not mistaken, I think you said, ‘like it.’”

Brenwar’s eyes searched the area until they rested on War Hammer. He strolled over and picked it up with his skeleton hand. With a spark in his eye, he held it high in the air and said, “Wait until they see me in Morgdon! There’s not a single dwarf in the great hall with a wound like this. Har!”

Taken aback a little, Nath said, “So you do like it?”

“Like it?” Brenwar growled. “I love it!” He brought the weapon’s hammer-like head down, pulverizing some rocks. “Ah, the fear in the eyes that me and War Hammer will bring. Let’s go find some giants!”

“Sure, but let’s eat first.” Nath eyed War Hammer. Handcrafted by Brenwar himself, it was a magnificent weapon. A hardened oak shaft hosting a burnished head of rune-marked steel. An axe head on one end and a mallet on the other. It was impressive, but something was missing. “You know, Brenwar, don’t you think it’s time that you gave War Hammer a real name?”

“It has a name: War Hammer. Mrrummaah in Dwarven. It’s a fine name.”

“I think that cleric of Barnabus was right. Something so exquisite needs a little more original name.”

Brenwar scratched his head.

“For example,” Nath continued. “It would be like me calling Fang Sword. Or you calling me Dragon. Er, well, bad example. Or me calling you Dwarf.”

Brenwar’s brow furrowed. Creativity wasn’t part of his makeup. He found details such as the names of things mundane, not oft so important. Which was odd for a dwarf, because they had many sophisticated names. And some of them were almost as long as dragons’ names for things. “What do you suggest?”

“Well, how about,” Nath drummed his claws on his chin, “Crusher. It crushes a lot of things, does it not? Is there a word for that in Dwarven?”

“Hmmm, not really,” Brenwar said, raking his beard. His rigid lips formed a smile. “But I can make it work. Mortuun...” The word went on for hours.

Finally, Nath said, “How about Mortuun for short?”

Brenwar grunted. “Aye. Now that you’ve made me go and think on it, Mortuun it is. Mortuun the Crusher.”

CHAPTER 8

“Do you see anything interesting down there?” Nath yelled down through the portal he had opened. Brenwar had climbed in an hour ago. Now that he’d eaten, he had a bounce in his step and had been eager to head back down. “Brenwar?”

Brenwar didn’t reply, but Nath could still hear him shuffling through the tomb. There was a lot of scraping of stone over stone and the sounds of stone being bashed in with Mortuun, but apparently Brenwar hadn’t found anything interesting.

“Watch out for dragon-spider nests!” Nath yelled back down. “You never know.”

“And you’ll never know,” Brenwar fired back. His voice echoed up the tunnel, “unless you come down here yourself … Sire.”

“Humph.” Keeping his ears tuned to the hole, Nath sat back down. He didn’t sense any danger. Perhaps the dragon spiders had been the only “price to pay” for intruders trying to loot the ancient tomb. Quite adequate, for most intruders. And the dragon spiders could have been inside there for centuries. Maybe a millennium.

“I’m sure you can handle it, Brenwar Bone Hand.”

Brenwar’s rustlings came and went. There were tapping sounds on stones. Heavy grunts. Objects being shoved back and forth. It seemed Brenwar was deep in his search but not having much luck. It was possible that whatever needed to be found had been concealed by a spell. Nath could help with that, but the likes of Bayzog and Sasha would be better. I wonder how they are doing. I bet Bayzog’s had his nose stuck in a book ever since he returned to Quintuklen. What’s left of it, anyway.

Nath hollered down the hole, “Why don’t you try a potion of finding or something?”

In a distant voice, Brenwar hollered back, “I don’t need no potion.”

The vault was deep. Nath figured it to be at least fifty feet straight down. And in some cases, the ancient vaults and tombs could go a hundred yards. They’d already come across a couple like that. And it was not that Nath was impatient. Pretty much all dragons were very patient, but Brenwar’s searches could take months. Dwarves liked it down inside the earth.

Maybe I should change.

Nath grimaced.

But moving on two legs is so slow. And no wings? No way!

He scratched his dragon chin with his claw.

Hmmm, maybe I could turn into a man, and keep the wings?

He pondered the idea until the day turned into night and back into the day again.

Nah. Then I’d look like Sansla Libor. Or a draykis.

He sat upright. Cocked his head on his long serpentine neck.

Brenwar’s booted feet were echoing off the portal’s rungs and getting higher. His black-haired head popped up like a gopher out of the hole. Straining, he climbed out with a very heavy strongbox, half the size of him, in tow. Using two hands, he gave it a heave and dragged it out of the hole and onto the dewy grass. Breathing heavily, he said, “Found something.”

“I can see that,” Nath said, eyeing it.

It had handles on each side, like a chest, but there weren’t any latches, key locks, or hinges. It was made of bright polished steel, which reflected the sunlight. To a mortal naked eye, it looked like nothing more than a block of solid metal.

Nath could make out a very narrow seam that looked like the lid. “That’s one strange treasure chest.”

“It was well concealed.” Brenwar put his hands on his hips and stuck his chest out a little. “But I found it. No creature on Nalzambor can read the stones better than a dwarf. No sir.” He held up his bony hand, marveling. “And none with a hand like this.”

“Nothing compares to you, Brenwar. That’s for certain. So the question is, how do we get this thing open?”

“Maybe we shouldn’t open it at all,” Brenwar suggested.

“Then why did you bring it up here?”

“Why? So you could look at it.”

Nath rolled his eyes. “I am looking at it. I have to admit it’s not like anything I’ve ever seen before. The craftsmanship is unique. Did anything down there give you any idea who created it?”

“I saw some markings. The tombs were all sealed, but I busted one open. There was nothing but powder and dust in there.” He scratched his nose. “Whatever fed on them, it fed on them long ago. There were worm holes, too, but most of them had refilled.”

“How many tombs?”

“A few dozen. Judging by the size of them, I’d say they were men. Not for certain, but I’d say it’s a tomb of the unknown.” Brenwar started scratching his back with his bony fingers. “Mmm, that feels good.”

Nath didn’t really have his hopes up to find anything new. After all, there were plenty of strange things all over Nalzambor. They’d never find them all. And this location, well, it seemed much older than what he’d be looking for. As far as finding his mother was concerned, he should be able to find something, somewhere, that wasn’t much older than him.

“Brenwar, are you certain that you’ve never seen my mother?”

“Of course not. I didn’t come onto the scene until you were a mature young boy. Well, not exactly mature, but you know what I mean.”

“Yes, I know,” Nath said, drooping his huge dragon head down. “Surely my father knows where she is. Wouldn’t he know?”

Brenwar shrugged his brows. “I think he likes to leave things a mystery until the time comes that you should know.”

“You’d think I’d know enough already, but I don’t know any more than I knew a hundred years ago.” He balled up his paw and brought it down on the rectangular chunk of metal.

Whummmm!

“There must be a million peaks to search on Nalzambor.” Nath hit the block again and again.

Whumm Whumm Whumm!

The odd strongbox hummed.

Mrrrruum mummm mummm!

Its cold steel finish swirled with life.

Eyes widening, Brenwar stepped back, readying his war hammer and setting his shoulders.

“What’s this?” Nath said with wary eyes.

The steel box started to brighten, the sun’s light feeding it with white-hot power. Its radiance became stronger and stronger.

Nath’s neck coiled back. His scales tingled. There was power. Ancient. Ominous. Threatening. “You’d better get behind me, Brenwar.”

“You’d better get behind me,” the warrior said. He raised Mortuun over his head and rushed toward the strongbox.

“Brenwar, no!” Nath said.

CHAPTER 9

Nath’s tail lashed out quicker than a snake just as Mortuun the Crusher came down. He was a split second too late. The war hammer smote the strongbox with all powerful authority.

Krang!

The burst of sound slammed into Nath and everything else in all directions around the strongbox.

Nath’s claws dug into the dirt.

Brenwar was knocked off his feet and tumbled head over heels.

Trees buckled and branches snapped.

Nath’s ears were ringing, but other than that, he was unaffected. “Brenwar, what did you do that for?” He surveyed the devastated landscape. “Brenwar?”

“Up here,” said a gruff voice. Brenwar was hanging upside down from a tree with his feet caught in the branches. Angry and somehow with Mortuun still hanging in his grasp, he started chopping with fury. “Let go of me, leafmaker!”

Nath started to make his way over.

The branches gave way.

Crack!

Brenwar tumbled down through the air and hit the ground hard. “Oof!”

“Are you all right?” Nath said, brushing aside the bushes his friend had landed in.

“I’m fine,” Brenwar said, rolling up to his feet.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” said Nath. “I was talking to the bushes.”

“Hah.”

Nath turned away and returned his focus to the chest. Someone or something sat on top of it.

Brenwar stopped in his tracks.

Nath froze.

It was a woman of sorts. Beautiful. Exquisite. No bigger than a child human’s, her lithe body was adorned in pink, white, and black fabric in marvelous patterns that flowed with nature. There were wings on her back, transparent, that caught the light. Her eyes were black, her face expressionless. In a soft but strong voice, she spoke in a language that Nath did not understand.

“Pardon?” he said in Common, somewhat mesmerized.

“Who are you?” she asked in the same tongue.

“I’m Nath Dragon.”

She rubbed her head with her dainty hands, tousling her long white locks. “And who is this one that smote me?”

“Brenwar,” Nath said, edging closer. He eyed her up and down. He’d never seen anyone like her before. Her loveliness rivaled that of the most winsome dragon. “And may I ask who you are?”

She scoffed. “Hah.” She fanned out her pretty pink nails and yawned. She hopped off the chest and started shoving it across the ground until it dropped back in the hole. A loud bang echoed up out of there.

Bang! ang ang ang ang!

Nath glanced at Brenwar and found the dwarf staring back at him. They both turned back to the winged woman, and Nath said, “Are you a fairy?”

“Hah!” she said. Her fingers began dancing in the air. Suddenly, the cover to the portal lifted up over the ground and dropped back over the hole, sealing the portal. She spoke indistinguishable words. The round cover glowed with hot light, and its edges sealed. She dusted off her hands and turned back and faced Nath and Brenwar with her hands on her hips.

“You’re drinking in my beauty, aren’t you.”

“I’m just wondering who you are,” Brenwar said.

“I am whoever I want to be.”

“Why were you imprisoned in there?” Nath asked, narrowing his eyes on her. If she was a fairy, then she was a very powerful one. And fairies often tricked one into doing their bidding.

Approaching Nath, she rolled up on her toes and stood as tall as one of the claws on his dragon-clawed feet. It should have been funny, her being so small, but somehow it wasn’t. “You should have gotten the answer to that before you freed me.” She showed a smile full of bright white teeth. “But, still, I am grateful to be free from my bondage. So much so, I will share my name with you, and with it comes the answer to any one of your questions.”

“You know the answer to everything? Hah!” Brenwar said.

“I do.” Her eyes shifted up to the right. Her face creased in concentration. Her toes sank into the ground. “Ah, that’s better.” She faced Brenwar. “Yes, I do, Brenwar Bolderguild. Five hundred and seventy-five years young, is it? Son of Ballor Bolderguild the Forgekeeper. Shall I go on?”

Brenwar looked like he had swallowed his beard.

“It’s not often I’ve seen you stumped. Ha-ha!” Nath laughed. “And dare I ask what you know about me?” he said to her. “Oh, and what is your name, as you mentioned sharing it before.”

“I am Lotuus, Nath Dragon. The Fairy Empress.”

“Empress?” Nath lifted a brow. “That sounds important. I imagine there are many that have been missing you.”

“In due time, I’ll know.” Her transparent wings fluttered and she rose up from the ground, coming to eye level with Nath. “Ah, you’re the son of Balzurth. Seems I’ve been imprisoned longer than I imagined. It’s so hard to tell the passing of time when I’m in a suspended state.” Now her dark eyes gave him the once over. “You certainly are a magnificent dragon. It seems much has happened since I’ve been gone. So, please, ask me a question. I can sense something deep is on your heart.”

“It was Brenwar who freed you, not me,” Nath said, eyeing his friend. “Answer a question of him.”

Lotuus chuckled. Her laugh was as light as feathers. “Oh, no, no, no. It was your touch, not his, that lifted the seal from me. You are magical, Nath Dragon. You are power without end. It was you who freed me. Not him.”

“And you can tell me anything I want to know?” Nath withheld the suspicion from his tone.

She nodded.

He didn’t want to insult her, but he doubted she could tell him the answer to any question. He didn’t even think his father could do that. Hm. Come to think of it, his father had long ago told Nath there was a spirit world that couldn’t be trusted.

Balzurth had said, “Be wary of their tricks. Seek wisdom, not shortcuts. The key to knowledge comes from the paths less taken.”

Lotuus seemed harmless enough, though. What harm could come from playing her game? Nath thought he had nothing to lose and only something to gain. At least this was entertaining. She was so marvelous and pretty.

“Give me a moment,” Nath said, putting his clawed paw to his huge dragon forehead to indicate he was thinking of a question.

CHAPTER 10

Lotuus huffed.

Brenwar scowled. “Nath. Come.”

Nath walked his monstrous frame over. “What is it?”

“I smell treachery.” Noticing Lotuus spying on them, Brenwar turned his back to her. “Maybe she was imprisoned for the right reasons.”

“Maybe she was imprisoned for the wrong reasons.”

“I can sense your doubt,” Lotuus said. “As the Fairy Empress, I find it a bit degrading. I tell you what. I’ll let the dwarf have a question and you as well. After all, how hard can a dwarf’s question be to answer?” She floated closer and stared down at Brenwar. “I bet I can guess your question myself. Let’s see. Aha! You want to ask which ingredients make the best ale!”

Brenwar shuffled back. His expression was priceless. “No I don’t. No I don’t.”

“Come on, dwarf, then ask me something,” she said.

“All right, fine then. Where is Nath’s mother?”

Nath’s heart pounded in his horns.

“Oh, that’s easy,” Lotuus said, drifting back down to the ground. “She’s in Nalzambor, of course.”

Brenwar slapped his face with his bony hand. “Gah! Sorry, Nath!”

Nath’s excitement deflated. His swaying tail came to a stop. “Way to go, Brenwar.”

“She could’ve answered more than that,” Brenwar whined. “She’s a clever one, she is. They all are. I say don’t waste your breath, Nath. She doesn’t know where your mother is.”

Feet barely touching the ground, Lotuus walked through the forest and sat down in a small bed of flowers. She plucked a purple flower and gave it a sniff. “Any second now.”

Be smart, Nath. She might be the Fairy Empress, but you’re the King Dragon.

He started to weigh the pros and cons of his question. Perhaps asking where his mother was would be a selfish question. Maybe there was something more important that he should ask, such as “What or who is the greatest threat to Nalzambor?”

That wouldn’t be a bad one. I could just take them out now, before they expected it.

Nath reflected on what his father had told him about his mother again: “What you seek is in the peaks.” He glanced over at Brenwar.

The grumpy fighter slowly shook his head.

Just because you blew it the first time, that doesn’t mean I’ll blow it the second time. Besides, we’ve been searching for a year. This is the best opportunity we’ve had. Just don’t waste it, Dragon. Ask your question carefully.

He cleared his throat.

Lotuus looked up at him. “So, the King Dragon, ha-hah, is ready to ask the question.” She rolled her eyes. “Oh, how I can’t wait to hear it.”

“I am ready,” Nath said in a strong and confident voice. He lowered his massive horned head and came face to face with her. “Are you ready?”

Lotuus’s black pupils enlarged. “Oh, certainly.” She rose to her feet and shuffled back in the flower bed. “My ears are to hear. My lips to assist. It would be an honor, King Dragon. Please, go ahead.”

Nath fanned out his huge claws and studied them with admiration. Each claw was about as big as Lotuus. He caught her eyes on his paw. He saw her swallow and drift back a little farther. “Come closer, Lotuus,” he said.

“Uh, why?”

“I want to make sure you can hear me. I wouldn’t want my question to be misinterpreted.” He opened up his paw and lowered it to the ground. “Hop on.”

“My hearing is excellent. I’m fine right here.”

Nath took in a deep breath. The furnace inside his chest started to glow. He put a little thunder in his voice. “Hop on!”

Head down, Lotuus floated over, saying, “Yes, Majestic Majesty.”

Nath raised her up to eye level and said, “I like the sound of that. Now, I think you were about to reanswer my companion’s question. A lot more specifically.”

“I was?” Lotuus said.

Nath’s eyes narrowed. His claws started to close around her. “I’m certain of it.”

She made a pleading look toward Brenwar.

His stern expression was the same as a petrified stump.

“Southern Nalzambor?”

“That’s awfully vague,” Nath said, closing his claws around her even more. “Perhaps a landmark to go with it.”

Eyeing the claws that had closed around her like a cage, she said to Nath, “Am I being threatened?”

“No, you’re being protected,” Nath said with deadly reassurance. “Very dangerous creatures lurk about. And I’d hate to see anything happen to you, Fairy Empress.”

“I see. And I thank you, but I am quite capable of taking care of myself.” She placed her hands on his claws. “And I doubt any hostile forces would dare threaten me with you around.”

Nath’s dragon lip curled back. Not by his own will but rather as a reaction.

There was magic power in Lotuus’s touch. Formidable. Mysterious. It was said the fairies and dragons were the earliest creatures in Nalzambor. Both came long before the other races. And Lotuus was much older than he was.

But he was a dragon and she was just a fairy. He turned up his inferno within.

Lotuus’s hands jerked back, and she winced. “Borgash,” she said.

“I beg your pardon,” Nath said, “I didn’t quite hear that.”

“The lost city of Borgash. What you seek is in there.” Shoulders slumped, she said, “May I go now? I long to see my kin.”

“You’ve answered his question, but you have not answered mine,” Nath said.

“But,” Lotuus stammered.

“But,” Nath said, raising a brow. “If you agree, then I’ll hold my question for you to answer when I summon you later. Agreed?”

Her little body stiffened. Finally, with a scowl she said, “Agreed.”

Nath opened up his claws. “Be well on your journey.”

Lotuus spread out her transparent wings and said with a sneer, “Good luck staying well on yours.” Her wings buzzed, and up into the air she went, disappearing into the sunlight.

“Clever,” Brenwar said, toting Mortuun over his shoulder. “I hadn’t seen that side of you before.”

“You don’t think I crossed the line, do you?”

“With a fairy? Har! There is no such line with them. I think you did well. And she still owes you one. I bet she hates that.”

I bet she hates me, too.

CHAPTER 11

“How about we get you a horse, Brenwar?”

“No.”

“Aw.” Nath shook his head. He’d spent the last three days slugging through the lands with Brenwar in tow. He could have flown back and forth to Borgash ten times by now. Easy. “Well, you can’t blame me for being eager. If you’d never met your mother, wouldn’t you be anxious to get on with it, too?”

“Sire, er, I mean Nath…” Brenwar stopped along the edge of the stream and began refilling his canteen. “Don’t put your faith in fairies. Trust in what you know and see.”

“Are you saying since I haven’t seen my mother, I shouldn’t believe she’s there?” He dipped his head in the cool waters and gulped in some water and a few small fish. “I’ve heard of many things that I’ve never seen, yet I still trust that they exist.”

“That’s not what I mean.” Brenwar put the canteen to his lips, gulped down the water, and started refilling it again. “Just enjoy the journey. Like you used to. Sometimes there are clues along the way. You might have great eyes, but you still can’t see everything from up there.”

“I think it’s best that I maintain a low profile. I can’t exactly pass through forests like a cat anymore.”

“You could if you’d change,” Brenwar argued. “Pah! Forget it. Tell you what, if you want to go on forward as fast as you can, then go ahead. I’ll catch up. Eventually.”

“No,” Nath said, wading into the stream. It was almost deep enough in the middle to cover his entire body. “Hmm, maybe this is a good way to travel.”

“Humph.”

Nath pushed up the stream. Brenwar followed along on the bank.

I do want to hurry on ahead, but I won’t. I’ve learned my lesson.

Nath certainly had the authority to get Brenwar to do whatever he wanted, but he wouldn’t use it. For one thing, Brenwar wasn’t a dragon, so he didn’t really have to listen to the Dragon King. But the dwarf had given an oath to serve Balzurth, and that oath had been passed on to Nath. And at the same time, Nath felt obligated to keep an eye on Brenwar. The dwarf had a noticeable hitch in his step that hadn’t been there before Nath’s last long sleep. Brenwar’s pace was almost a half step slower than it used to be. The dwarf, though just as formidable as any that lived, was so much more fragile than Nath.

“What are you staring at?” Brenwar said, glaring at Nath.

“Oh, was I staring? Sorry, Brenwar. I was just admiring your hand. I think your kin will glorify it.”

Brenwar’s shoulders lifted. He held his hand high and gazed at it. “It is something. Ha! I can’t wait to show them. I bet they start a statue of me right away.”

“I agree.” Nath had a thought. “You know Brenwar, Morgdon isn’t so far away. Why not stop by for a visit? You haven’t even been home since Gorn Grattack has fallen. For all you know, they have a statue of you already. It wouldn’t surprise me a bit if Pilpin jumped right on it.”

Brenwar came to a stop on the bank. His boots sank a little in the sands. Hard eyes fixed on Nath’s, he said, “What are you getting at?”

“Nothing. I just thought maybe you, or we, should celebrate, before we dive too deep into other things.”

A swarm of pink-feathered swans swam by and honked at Nath.

Haaaank! Hank hank hank!

“I’m certain what we’re about to get into will be treacherous. You had one really close call already.”

Brenwar’s eyes narrowed into slits. His good hand became white knuckled on Mortuun’s shaft. “You’re coddling me.”

“No, never.”

“You are!” Brenwar set his shoulders and marched away from the stream and back into the woods.

Under his breath, Nath said, “Well, maybe I was.” He eased his way out of the stream and spread his wings. He yelled after Brenwar, “Well, I could use some fresh air anyway.” After gathering his legs underneath him, he launched himself into the air. In seconds he was hundreds of feet up and soaring like a big scaly bird. “That’s better.”

Below, he couldn’t see Brenwar, but he knew the dwarf’s scent all too well. He was never hard to find, and Brenwar never tried to hide from anybody, either.

Nath spent hours up, traveling miles at a time, back and forth. He scanned the horizon and the landscape, too. He was very in tune with Nalzambor. More so than he used to be. His intuition was incredible. His senses were so acute he could tune into activity inside an ant hill.

Ah, it’s great to be me.

He widened his circle, staying just within the belly of the clouds. He didn’t want to terrify any townsfolk or farmers. They’d been through plenty, thanks to the likes of the armies of Barnabus. They were just getting their lives in order. Nath was privy to that. He could hear their hammers pounding. Saws cutting through the fallen timbers.

And stew was cooking somewhere always, not to mention the buttery biscuits. His mouth watered. Drool fell from his lips.

Now that, I do miss. I wish someone could make biscuits big enough for me. And it wouldn’t be so bad gulping down a river full of stew sometime. I have to hand it to humans: they make the finest dishes.

A glimmer of movement caught his eye. A dark wink. A nasty twinkle. A small flock beat their wings nearby in a V formation. Thirteen of them.

Those aren’t birds. Birds aren’t that big, and they don’t have tails like that!

Nath flapped his wings harder.

They have scales. Not the likes of which I’ve ever seen before, either. Great Guzan! What are they?

Closing in, Nath let out a squawk.

HrrAWk!

The dragon in the rear, the size of a long-tailed pony, turned its head. It was flat like a snake’s, hornless, with slanted ruby eyes that glimmered with hate. It opened up its mouth and let out an angry hiss.

Hhusssssssssss!

A pair of forked tongues snapped in and out of its mouth. It turned away and squawked up to the others.

Hrawk.

I don’t understand what it’s saying.

One by one, the other dragon heads turned and stared at Nath. Their pulsating red eyes bore into him.

Brash, whatever they are.

The dragon in the rear let out another frightening squawk.

Hrawwwwwwk!

In the blink of an eye, they stopped in midair in attack formation. Claws and teeth bared, they made straight for Nath Dragon.

Sultans of Sulfur!

CHAPTER 12

The wicked brood of dragons darted straight into Nath’s path.

He spat out a ball of fire.

The lead dragon veered right.

Half of the ranks followed.

The other section of the formation went left.

The fireball sailed in between.

They’re quick!

Screeching, the dragon brood flanked Nath and started to close in.

Let’s see how fast they really are.

Nath pointed his head toward the earth, pumped his wings, and dove. He cut through the air, a scaly knife in the sky, reaching amazing speeds. Folding his wings behind his back, he dove faster. The wind whistled between his horns, making an eerie howl.

Eoo oo oo oo oo

I’m fast. I like it!

Daring not to glance behind him, Nath focused on the ground rushing up to greet him. He aimed his body like a giant missile toward the rocky hilltops, where the hill goats began to scatter.

Get it right, Nath, or you’ll be dragon goo.

Chin out and horns back, he watched certain death coming to greet him. Jagged rocks waited like a mouthful of broken teeth, enlarging in an instant.

Now!

He spread his wings and pulled up, straining with all his might. Rocks scraped over his belly and tail.

Made it!

Soaring away, he glanced back over his wings. Three of the dragon brood had slammed into the hillside. Rock and debris exploded.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Nath found the other dragons hovering nearby in the sky. Their eyes were full of malice. They let out angry shrieks, and their mouths glowed like red-hot flames.

Beating his wings, Nath hovered in the sky, looking down on all of them. “I don’t know what you are or where you came from, but wherever that was, I’m going to make you wish you had never left.” He unleashed a geyser of fire. It streamed out of his mouth and exploded, coating some of the smaller dragons in white-hot flames.

Their pain-filled screeches could have shattered glass as they writhed in the sky.

Eeeak! Eak Eaak Eeeeaaaaaak!

“That’s only a sample of what I have in store for—Agh!”

From out of nowhere, razor-sharp talons dug into his back. A knot of four dragons latched onto him like leeches. Fangs bit into Nath’s hard scales. Liquid fire dripped like venom from their mouths, causing him excruciating pain.

Nath let out a tremendous roar.

“RAWR!”

And then he turned loose his own assault. The end of his tail coiled around one dragon’s neck and ripped it free of him. Using it like a club, he started swatting away at the others.

Whop! Whop! Whop!

He knocked one more off his legs, but two more latched on. Wings beating with fury, Nath fought to keep up in the air.

Rising higher, two more dragons darted in and attacked his wings.

Nath lost control and tumbled through the sky. Battling for his life, he hit the hillside hard.

Whoom!

“Enough of this!” Nath yelled in Dragonese. Eyes hot with fire, he unleashed his vision heat on the first dragon he saw. The beams of light turned the creature’s dark armored scales to ash, leaving only a pile of bones. Ignoring the burning sensation of claws and teeth digging into him, he reared back his head and struck like a snake. His jaws clamped around another dragon’s neck. With tremendous force, he bit down and broke its neck.

The dragon brood went into a frenzy. They struck and bit. Spat out small geysers of flame. They latched onto Nath’s chest and coiled their tails around his great neck.

Unrelenting, Nath and the brood thrashed through the hill. Trees snapped under their weight. The branches caught fire.

Nath stomped one dragon’s face in the dirt.

Another dragon spat hot flames in Nath’s eye.

Nath snatched it by the neck and with his breath, he turned its head to ashes. He huffed for breath. The strain of battle was starting to take a toll on him. His inner flame was going dim.

Don’t these things give up or tire? I’ve already killed six of them!

The evil throng battled on. Their teeth and claws were tiny razors digging deep in between his scales. They were merciless, and Nath was covered in them.

He bit one’s tail and slung it off his back.

Another dragon whipped his eye with its tail.

“Argh!”

Nath made it pay. He slammed it into the ground and pulverized it under his paws.

Back and forth they battled, the dragon versus the drag-ons.

Nath matched their savagery with his own. They were strong and quick. He was stronger and quicker. But their numbers gave them the advantage. They stayed latched onto his arms. His legs. His wings. They started taking him apart a tiny piece at a time. Their fiery venom crept in between his scales and into his flesh.

Nath unloaded one more blast of fire, vaporizing two more of them.

Eight down! At least I think so.

His great strength had faded. He felt drained. His sight started to dim.

This can’t be happening to me. I’m the King Dragon.

CHAPTER 13

Fighting to stay awake, Nath’s mind went through his known cache of abilities, but it was sluggish. Even the pain had begun to subside.

I have to get these things off of me before they drag me off somewhere. Or eat me!

He pushed up off the ground and belly-rolled over, crushing one of them underneath his girth. Still, his limbs became heavy. He flailed his tail but couldn’t get a sense of where it was going. A dark shadow fell over them.

“Screeeeeeech!” the dragon brood cried out in unison.

Guzan! What now?

Through blurry eyes, Nath saw a black-winged bulk drop out of the sky.

It landed hard on the ground.

Oh no! They come in bigger sizes!

It closed in on Nath.

With tremendous strain and effort, he closed in on it.

One of the smaller dragons darted in between them and shot out some fiery breath.

The bigger dragon swatted it away with its tail and began pummeling it into the dirt.

Wap! Wap! Wap!

The bigger dragon finished it off with a blast of scorching fire.

“Huh?” Nath said, barely able to keep his eyes open.

The big black dragon’s head whipped around just in time to confront another small attacking dragon. With its breath, it turned the little serpent into dust. Then the huge black dragon spoke to Nath in Dragonese. “Get up and fight, Lazy Bones!”

Nath’s head perked up. His dragon heart began to race. “Selene?”

The big black dragon ripped a smaller one off his hide, smashed its bones into the ground, and said, “Do I really need to answer that?”

Charged up with renewed energy, Nath tore another small dragon away from his arm with his tail. He bashed it into the rocks until it moved no more.

Selene continued to rip them off of him and then crush them with her mighty paws or use her breath weapon and turn them into pixie dust.

In less than a minute, all the hostile dragons were dead.

“Gather them in a pile,” she said.

“Why?” Nath said, shaking out the cobwebs inside his head.

Sarcastically she said, “Oh mighty King Dragon, will you please just do as I say.” With her mouth she dragged one across the ground and into another, starting the pile. “And don’t miss any.”

Wary, Nath did as she asked. Strange dead dragons were piled up before them. “So, now what?”

Selene opened up her great mouth and covered them in flame.

The pile burned and popped. Nath fought the urge to cover his nose. The stench watered his eyes. The dragons burned—scales, horns, bones, and all—until there was nothing but ash left.

Finally, he said, “What did you do that for? Now I’ll never know what they are.”

“You almost weren’t going to know anything else ever again, King Dragon.”

Nath approached her with a smile.

Covered in black scales with a long, sensuous tail, Selene was the most beautiful dragon he’d ever seen. Her lashed violet eyes were radiant beneath her exquisite crown of horns, streaked with silver.

Heart pounding inside his chest, he said, “Thanks, Selene. It’s good to see you. I didn’t think you could stay away from me forever anyway.”

“Hah!” she laughed. “Me, seeking you? Nothing could be further from my quest.”

He frowned. “Quest? What do you mean, quest?”

Selene’s violet eyes drifted onto the pile of ash. “Tracking down these vermin and killing them.”

Irritated, Nath fixed his eyes on her. “So you know what they are, then?”

“Sadly,” she said, neck drooping a little. “I do. They are called wurmers.”

“Wurmers? What tongue is that?”

Without batting an eye, she said, “An ancient one. Long forgotten until … sometime around now.”

Nath spread out his wings and winced. Turning his head around, he noticed one of his wings was dangling. “Blast!”

Selene’s eyes widened. “That’s a horrible wound. You should be more careful.”

“Thanks, Selene. I’ll remember that the next time I’m assaulted by a bunch of renegade dragons.” He snorted. “Don’t guess I’ll be flying anywhere too soon. It should make Brenwar happy.” He focused his attention on Selene. “You were saying these things had been long forgotten until sometime around now. So you knew of them?”

Sitting back on her haunches and clicking her clawed front paws together, she said, “Let’s just say I’ve encountered them before.”

Nath’s eyes narrowed. “Is this something that Gorn Grattack had a hand in? That you had a hand in?”

“Yes and no.”

“That’s not an answer, Selene. And I don’t like it. What do you know about these creatures? And how in Nalzambor did they get here?” He brushed his tail through their remains. “And is it bad that I killed them?”

“Don’t fret, Nath,” she said. “The wurmers are more dragon-like than dragon. They aren’t flesh and blood like other life on Nalzambor. That I’m certain of.”

Nath eased his tone. “Well, that helps a little. Keep talking.” He half flapped his broken wing. “I’m not going anywhere soon.”

“The wurmers are a creation of other evil mages and clerics who preceded Barnabus. They hated dragons, and through their collective efforts they created a creature to slay dragons. They used dragon parts and magic and turned them into bloodless, living things, like insects.”

“Oh, I see,” Nath said. “Isn’t that pretty much what you did with the draykis? How many of them are still running around?”

“I’m pretty sure there aren’t any.”

“Pretty sure, well,” Nath said, rolling his eyes, “that’s reassuring.”

“Don’t be smug.”

“I’m sorry, Selene, but this stinks of your old dealings, and let’s face it. You haven’t been around. There’s no telling what you’ve been doing or who you’ve been doing it with.”

Selene’s eyes became bright as fire. “Nath! How dare you suggest?”

“I’m the Dragon King, and I’ll suggest what I will. I have an entire world to protect.”

“Well, you weren’t doing a very good job of it a few moments ago—unless you were going to protect it as new fertilizer!” She spread her wings. “Good luck to you. I’ll resume this quest on my own.” Her feet started to lift from the ground.

CHAPTER 14

Nath snatched her tail and pulled her back down. Calmly. “You aren’t going anywhere, Selene. Sorry. Just tell me more.”

The flames behind her eyes subsided, and she continued her story.

“Yes, the Clerics of Barnabus sought to employ the wurmers in our cause, but dealing with them proved difficult.” She sighed. “Very difficult.”

“How so?” Nath said, brushing his tail against hers.

“They’re mindless things that don’t discriminate. They’d attack any dragon, good or bad. Both Kryzak and I tried to find ways to control them, but everything failed. I even have some scars to show for it.” She ran her claws over her side. There were some gashes in her scales that had never fully healed. “Kryzak actually saved me. After that, I came up with the draykis. They were my creation. I could control them. But the wurmers, they come from another time. A different magic. I told Kryzak to destroy them. Their larva. Their nests. I was very disappointed when I found out that he didn’t.”

Nath reached over his shoulder and plucked a torn wurmer claw out from between his scales. Eyeing it, he said, “They are nasty things. How many have you hunted down?”

“Thousands.”

Unable to contain his surprise, Nath said, “Thousands!”

“Give or take a few hundred,” she added.

“You should have sought me out, Selene. How many of these things do you think are out there?” He stomped his paw into the ground. “And being the King Dragon, I need to be informed of any dire threats to this world.”

“Don’t stiffen on me, Nath. If you were so worried about any threats, you’d be back at Dragon Home. Instead, you are on a personal quest—which,” she said, eyes saddening a little, “I don’t blame you for.”

“Regardless, Selene, you should tell me, especially when you are putting yourself in danger.” His tail glided up around her shoulders. “I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

Her eyes drifted down over his tail and then found his. “Really? And why is that?”

Nath swallowed. Nothing in Nalzambor intimidated Nath, but Selene did. Not as a threat but as a woman. A grand one. And his attraction to her was powerful. But he didn’t know how to tell her that. “Because … you’re my friend.”

Selene’s eyes drifted away, and she let out a huff of smoke. She walked out from underneath his tail. “Oh, I’m elated to know that. And as for the wurmers, the amount I’ve destroyed isn’t so big. As a matter of fact, these are the biggest I’ve seen.” Her brow creased. “I’ve mostly found unhatched nests. You see, the wurmers start out in a larva stage. Much like insects. I find them and destroy them.”

“How many more do you think are left?”

“Hard to tell. I found one of the original lairs, but I think there are many more. Especially after seeing a group as big as this flying around.” She swatted her tail through the charred remains. “But these are drones. Which is good. The females lay the eggs. One female, rather. Perhaps a queen for every nest.”

“So they are like the bees?”

“No. Bees produce honey; wurmers produce death.” She continued, “Nath, now that the Clerics of Barnabus no longer hunt them, the wurmers will multiply fast. If they get out of control, they’ll swarm all of Nalzambor like locusts. Nothing will remain.”

Nath tried to get close again, but Selene shifted away. Aggravated, he said, “If it’s so serious, you should take some other dragons with you, then.”

“It’s my responsibility. I’ll handle it on my own.”

“I insist,” Nath said.

“I still have allies aside from yourself,” she said.

“Really, who?”

“You focus on your mission, and I’ll focus on mine,” she said. “And I wish you well on your quest to find your mother.”

“Selene, don’t rush off. Please. You just got here.”

“The wurmers are serious business, Nath.”

“Just for a little while. Please?” he said, forming a long face. “All I’ve been doing is traveling with Brenwar, and it’s not the same … as it used to be. It’s hard being a dragon when all your friends are mortal.”

“That’s why dragons don’t get so close to the mortals. But you’ll get used to it.”

“I’m not sure that I want to get used to it.”

“You can’t have the best of both worlds. You are meant to rule the dragons, not the other races as well. They’ll be just fine without you, Nath.”

“I suppose.”

“And if you spent more time among your kind, I’m certain you’d be enlightened.” She ran her tail under his chin. Her eyes smiled into his. “But I envy you, Nath. You understand what it’s like to be both man and dragon. And you have true friends among all the races. Consider it a precious gift. It will give you wisdom that others have never had.”

“If you say so.” He flexed his bad wing again. “Honestly, please stick around. Not being able to fly is going to be hard enough. And I’m never going to hear the end of this from Brenwar.”

“You’re such a child sometimes,” Selene said, “but lucky for you I like it. So I’ll come along, but only for a bit.”

Yes! Pulling his shoulders back and heading back down over the hillside with a bounce in his step, Nath said, “Well, come on, then.”

On foot it took a few hours to get back to the general area where he’d last seen Brenwar. Putting his nose to the dirt, it wasn’t long before Nath found his oldest friend’s scent. “It won’t be long now.” But an hour later, Nath lost the scent. A sinking feeling crept into him. “Selene, do you smell anything?”

She shook her head. “I sense nothing.”

CHAPTER 15

The vanishing of Brenwar made for a long day—and days were usually nothing to a dragon. Nath ripped another tree out of the ground and flung it away.

“Nath,” Selene said, “You can’t check underneath everything. Least of all the roots beneath the trees. I’m certain there’s a reasonable explanation for it.” She stroked his back with her tail. “Take a breath and let things come to you.”

Nath pushed some moss-covered boulders aside. Worms and insects scurried deep into the dirt. “Ah!” He rolled the rocks back into place. “Blast!”

“Nath, we will find him,” Selene said, being reassuring. “I’m certain of it.”

He wanted to agree with her, he really did, but Brenwar’s disappearance left him feeling empty inside. Guilt swelled inside him. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing his friend again. After all, Brenwar had almost died once already. Looking at Selene, a thought occurred to him. He couldn’t help but let it out. With wary eyes he said, “It’s been a strange series of circumstances.”

Selene sat back on her haunches, crushing the brush underneath her tail. “What do you mean?”

“Well, let me put it together for you. I get a clue about where to find my mother. Not long after that, the wurmers show up, followed by the sudden appearance of you, and now Brenwar disappears.”

Selene’s dragon face darkened. “Are you suggesting I had something to do with this?”

“A wise king wouldn’t rule out the possibility.”

“A wise king wouldn’t insult his friends!” she fired back.

“Oh yes, a friend who created the draykis, who was willing to let loose the wurmers on dragonkind.” He shook his head. “Huh. Not to mention that you don’t want any help. Look, Selene, you have to admit, is that not the least bit suspicious?”

She leaned toward him and said with her razor-sharp claws extended, “I ought to rip your tongue out. I just saved your life, you fool.”

“Fool!”

Nose to nose, she added, “Do I need to say it in the seven languages to you?”

He bared his teeth. “You do not speak to me that way!”

“And you shouldn’t speak to anyone that way.”

“Hah! Like you care! This, coming from someone who killed if someone batted an eyelash at you. And you dare to judge me?”

Air rife with tension, Selene cut loose. Her tail lashed out, smiting Nath across his cheek.

Whap!

Nath shook it off. His eyes blazed with fury. He rose up to his full height, towering over her. “Why did you do that?”

“Because if you unleashed one more insult like that, I was going to try and kill you.”

“Really?” Nath growled.

“Really!” Selene said, bumping her horns against his.

Clack!

Nath’s temper boiled over.

Somewhere deep inside him, his conscience said, Nath, what are you getting so mad for?

He couldn’t control it, though. His inner volcano was erupting. The fires in his chest wanted to explode. “You better get out of here, Selene. I think I’ve had enough of you.”

Taken aback, she scooted away. There was hurt in her eyes. She spread her wings. “Fine. Fine, then, Nath. Good-bye.” In one powerful flap, she took to the sky.

Nath clutched the horns on his head. What am I doing? “No, wait! Selene, come back!”

She was little more than a speck in the sky now. An ash drifting away.

He spread his own wings and cried out in pain. “Ow! Blast my busted wing!”

***

Hours later, Nath had made his way deep down inside a ravine. He’d pushed himself far into the brush overhanging the creek. His temper had long cooled, and now he hid from the world with a belly full of regret.

What in the world got into me? That was no way for a king to behave. Selene was right about that.

Sulking, he raced through the scenarios on how to make things right.

How am I supposed to apologize to someone who will probably never want to see me again? I can’t fly. I’ve lost Brenwar. Now that’s two people I have to find. Him and my mother. Not to mention there is another threat to Nalzambor. What do I do?

He closed his eyes and let it all soak in. Everything had happened at once. A sudden storm. A turn of the tide. At the moment, missing Brenwar hurt even more than losing Selene. Brenwar was his rock. The dwarf would have something to say that Nath needed to hear. But hadn’t Selene?

Aw, I mess everything up.

Things were different than before now that he was a dragon. He was still getting used to it. He needed to focus on the best way to find Brenwar first. Another part of him wanted to be with Selene.

Think, Dragon, think!

He recalled a conversation that he’d had a long time ago, before he and Bayzog had parted. The part-elven wizard had given him some advice. “When in doubt, ask yourself what your father would do.”

Yes, what would my father do?

He envisioned Balzurth’s mightier red dragon frame sitting on the throne within the great treasure chamber. His father’s eyes were often closed, but he was always aware of everything around him. Not even a mouse escaped his attention.

Come on, Nath, you’re the greatest tracker in all the lands. At least you used to be. Think of your father. Think of something. How hard can it be to find Brenwar?

He thought back to when he was much younger. Back when he spent more time with his father. It was just the two of them most of the time: hunting, fishing, and feasting together. Both of them would lie down with a bellyful and count the stars in the sky.

But every once in a while, another dragon would come by and share news with Balzurth, speaking into his father’s ear. Balzurth would nod, grunt a little, and send the dragon messenger on its way. Those were good, good times.

Nath’s eyes snapped open.

I’ve got it!

CHAPTER 16

Nath returned to the spot where he’d lost the scent of Brenwar. There was nothing extraordinary about it. It was just another stretch of woodland and heavy brush.

All right, someone around here must have seen something.

He stretched out his senses. The pulse of life was all around. The birds perched high up in the trees. The vermin that scurried over the ground. The insects that crawled underneath the moss and through the branches within. All Nath had to do was ask them.

Nath opened up his paw and sat it down on the ground. Creating a gentle hum in his voice, he beckoned to all the life that was around. His melody gently massaged the leaves in the trees. Everything that crept or crawled stopped in its path.

Come now, come. Come and help me out. I seek. Help me find.

He kept at it for minutes. There was hesitation. Fear. Curiosity. Not one creature came forward. Nath continued, however. Even though he was a friendly force, he still looked like a giant predator—for dragons fed on all kinds of things. The world was their buffet. Some ate bugs, others fish of the waters and the fowl of the air. Some dragons only ate the flowers and leaves.

Come, Nath beckoned. Come.

Nothing came.

Blast!

Nath sat down, shaking his head. He didn’t have anyone left to help him. No friends in sight, and he couldn’t blame them. He’d run Selene off. He’d acted like a lousy king, and even the creatures of the forest knew that. He’d lost all credibility.

I’m a sad excuse for a Dragon King. And I thought things would be easy once I was a dragon. Out of the corner of his eye he caught some movement. What’s this?

A raccoon approached, head low. It was a big one, bushy, with chestnut brown spots and rings instead of black. It stopped short of Nath’s paw.

Nath hummed out a welcoming sound.

The raccoon lifted its head.

Now came the tricky part. Animals and insects couldn’t speak, but they had their ways of communicating. Nath summoned his magic and released a spell. He had several he could recall that he’d learned when he was younger and walked the lands more. Speaking with animals was one of them, and it had helped him rescue many dragons.

“How are you?” he said in words the raccoon could understand.

It spoke back. “I am well, Mighty Dragon. How may I assist?”

“What is your name, little friend?”

“I’m called the Ringed Goose by my family,” it said.

“I lost a friend, a dwarf. Bones for a hand and black bearded. Have you seen him?”

“Yes,” the raccoon said. “He was here yesterday. He marched through and then was taken.”

“Taken by what or who?”

Tiny clawed hands together, the raccoon looked back over his shoulders. “I’m scared to say for fear that me and my family might be eaten.”

“I won’t let that happen,” Nath said. “Please, help me. He’s my dear friend, and he means as much to me as your family to you.”

The raccoon nodded. “A black, black dragon dropped from the sky and took him.”

No! Not Selene!

“Can you describe this dragon in better detail? Did it have blood-red eyes and rough, dark scales, perhaps?”

“The scales were such as yours,” the raccoon said.

“Did it have horns on its head?”

“The raccoon rubbed its chin. “Yes, I think so.”

Nath’s heart dipped. “Now think hard on this. Did you see the dragon’s eyes?”

“Oh, most definitely, they were the prettiest and deadliest violet I ever saw.”

***

Head filled with troubles, Nath burrowed his way into a nearby mountainside and blended in with his surroundings. The raccoon’s news was deeply disturbing. Selene had betrayed him once again, it seemed.

After all we have been through, she’s turned on me? Why?

His heart ached.

And why take Brenwar? She wouldn’t kill him, would she?

Of course, if anyone wasn’t as blind as Nath, it was Brenwar. Nath cared deeply for Selene, Brenwar not so much. He wasn’t a very forgiving sort. And if the seasoned soldier suspected something, he wouldn’t hesitate to let Nath know about it.

I can’t believe this is happening. And it couldn’t be more perfect. Here I am grounded with a busted wing.

He curled deeper into his spot. Mind filled with doubt, he ran over countless scenarios. Did Selene want his throne? Did Gorn Grattack still live? Was she trying to prevent him from finding his mother?

It seems my suspicions were right all along. That Selene. She’s such an actress. I should have known better. Fine, I’ll wait it out, Selene. My wing will heal soon enough, and then I’m going to hunt you down like a draykis.

Burrowed deep in the earth, he settled in and used his energy to heal up. All around him the plant life perked up, starting with new growth. Hours went by that turned into days. Before long he was covered in the brush and flowers. The varmints of the forest didn’t notice him. The birds started to nest. The smaller creatures burrowed. Life traveled all around him and over the top of him. He was part of the mountain now. Many dragons did that.

He opened his eye.

His wing no longer hurt.

That ought to do it.

Red birds with long white tails were chirping in the thicket that covered his eyes. The sweet music turned to a squawk as Nath shifted his bulk, loosening the dirt. The wildlife that covered him scattered.

Sorry.

With a heave, he pushed his way out of his burrow and shook off the leaves and foliage. He pressed his way through the forest until he found a clearing. He stretched out his wings.

Ah! That’s much better! Here I come, Selene.

CHAPTER 17

Flying high, Nath set off in the direction Selene had been flying. She’d be hard to find if she wanted to be. She could transform, become big or small like he could. But her scent would linger. He had that to go on.

You won’t escape me, Selene. I won’t let you get away with this.

Of course, for all he knew, he might be playing right into her hands. A trap might spring. After all, she’d had plenty of time to set it. He wouldn’t be one bit surprised if she’d left him a clue of some sort.

He dashed in and out of clouds filled with lightning and rain. He swooped over the land and his belly grazed the ground. There was plenty of ground to cover, but he sensed she was near. And he figured chances were that if he could find some of those wurmers, then he’d be about to find her as well.

Rising back into the air, he noticed a broken form unmoving down in the valley. There, a dragon lay still. He was citrine yellow with a red stripe across his back. Little bigger than a pony, the yellow streak dragon was dragging his belly through the sloppy rain with his head hung low.

Nath dropped out of the sky and down in front of him. “What happened, brother?”

“They’re dead,” the yellow streak said in a ragged form of Dragonese. His body had deep cuts in it, and some of his scales were missing. “All dead. I couldn’t save them. I’m sorry, Nathlalonggram …agh.” He collapsed on the ground.

“No!” Nath cried out in alarm. The dragon’s heartbeat was quickly fading. Nath scooped him up in his arms. The yellow streak’s life was gone.

Chest puffed out, Nath picked up the dragon’s trail. The rains were washing it away in the mud, but Nath’s keen eyes still picked it up. He followed the tall grasses that were matted down. The dragon’s path wound through a valley, and Nath found bits of blood along the way. His nostrils flared.

That doesn’t smell good.

He pressed on. Up ahead, a small plume of smoke twirled in the rain. Patches of fire were burning the trees.

Oh no!

Dragons were scattered all over the ground, yellow streaks, a large family. Their bodies lay still, their scale hides ripped and torn. Wings broken. Teeth and horns busted. The battle must have been fierce.

Nath stopped short of the battleground and scooped up a small dragon that didn’t even fill his hand. She was so young and beautiful. Her neck was broken. Nath’s eyes watered.

Lightning streaked across the sky and thunder cracked.

He let out a roar.

“Maaaaaarrrroooooooo!”

Someone is going to pay for this!

He stepped in a pile of ashes that had begun mixing in with the mud. It was familiar. Scraping some of the goo up onto his finger, he eyed it closely and gave it a sniff.

It’s from a wurmer. Hah, seems the yellow streaks put up a fine fight and took some of these dark fiends with them.

He picked his way through the carnage. There were scales and teeth he hadn’t noticed before. He sifted through them with his hand, feeling the texture and absorbing the scent into his scales. The wurmers couldn’t be far away. It wouldn’t be hard to find them now.

And once he found them, he’d find Selene.

Selene has a lot of explaining to do.

One by one, he picked up the fallen dragons and laid them down side by side. He even returned and brought back the first one he’d encountered. There were seven in all. The father went first, being the biggest, and the mother, going down to the sons and daughters being the smallest. With a heart full of sadness, Nath dug into the soft dirt. His powerful hands scooped out the dirt and rock and pushed it aside, and the first grave was made.

This hurts.

He had thought these days were done. That there would be peace on Nalzambor for a long time. He slung a pile of mud aside.

This shouldn’t be happening! Why can’t everyone and everything behave themselves?

He kept digging, taking his time about it. And he started singing, a sad and ancient tune. It was one he had learned from his father when he was a boy. The other dragons used to sing it as well. It was about the first dragons who had fallen during the first dragon war.

Their scales were cherry, the fairest of their kind.

They drank deep of the waters and flew high in the air.

Fire came. Lightning struck. They tumbled through the sky.

It was the end of the crimson dynamos and the beginning of Nalzambor’s despair.

There were hundreds of segments to the song, but Nath only made it as far as fifty. He’d finished his work, laid his kin in the graves one by one, and started covering them in dirt.

When he lifted his sagging head, a change in his surroundings caught his eye. He was encircled by the creatures of the wild. Mighty elks with curled horns. Chipmunks and rabbits with tiny bright fairies riding on their backs. There were owls in the branches. An old and aging centaur woman too. The woodland creatures closed in and began pushing the dirt into the graves as well. Beavers and pixies. A pair of bears bigger than Brenwar. In moments, the dragon graves were covered and new grasses and flowers were planted.

“Thank you,” Nath said to them all.

Quickly they were all gone, leaving Nath alone in the rain.

CHAPTER 18

Nath scoured the area for leagues. He did it in the air and on the ground. The scent of the wurmers was strong. Flying through the sky, he caught a distant flicker of movement down below. There was a clearing on a hillside. Its peak was covered in rough stone and loose shale. A plume of smoke rose into the air and dissipated.

I’d better check that out.

Wary eyed, he glided down and landed soft as a dove on the ground. The shale squeezed up between his clawed toes. He spied a faint series of caves in the light of the dusk. They seemed to breathe with life of their own. Warm yellow smoke oozed out of them. There were no other signs of life nearby.

Could be a lair.

Head low, Nath crept in for a closer look. His nostrils widened as he took in a deep draw of air. The yellow smoke smelled like acid. It was like the Lakes of Sulfur farther south, which had been formed by the lava rivers. They made great places to hide for dragons, who could handle the heat, much more so than men.

But this was different. This was in the forest.

Strange.

He inhaled again. There was more than sulfur or acid. The wurmers’ scent was there, mixed in with the pungent cover.

Hah! I have them now!

The tufts behind Nath’s earholes fluttered. He could smell them but not see them. The mouths of the caves were too small for his great girth. He climbed behind them, hung his head over the lip, and listened for any sound. There was a roar of wind that whistled through the jagged rocks. Deeper, he could hear something else. In a part of the world deep in its bowels, there was a groaning. Something flowed. Beat. Pulsed.

Nath rubbed his razor-sharp claws under his lip.

Hmmm … can’t help but be really curious. Perhaps I should change so I can go down there and check it out. No. Now is the time for patience. He envisioned the broken bodies of the yellow streak dragons. Soon I’ll have vengeance.

Nath focused on blending in with his environment. His body became one with the natural surroundings. Part of the rock and soil. His thoughts wandered. What if Selene was down there? And Brenwar?

What if it’s a trap? Another one of Selene’s clever setups?

The hours went by, and darkness fell over the hill. Above, the moon’s light was dim in the drifting and dreary clouds.

The caves gave off the faintest illumination. The smell of sulfur remained strong. Nath let his eyes close. He sank his talons deeper into the hard earth. He could feel all of the life of Nalzambor. The heartbeats of the sleeping creatures nearby. The feet of ants marching over the dirt. There was something else too that he felt. Distress. Nalzambor seemed worried.

The hillside suddenly quavered.

Thoom.

It was faint. Undetectable by many creatures of nature. The shale shifted the slightest bit.

Thoom.

Nath’s eyelid slid back.

Thoom. Thoom. Thoom.

The bellies of the caves were coming to life. Angry sounds and shrieks erupted from within. Something was coming out.

Thoom! Thoom!

Shale and dirt poured out over the rims of the caves. Creatures who had been lying peacefully in the forest scattered. One of the caves glowed with bright orange light, and the roar of a dragon echoed.

Something fights within!

A slender black dragon snaked out of the hole.

Selene!

She was smaller. More svelte. The scales on her dragon chest were heaving as she backed away from the mouths of the caves.

Nath’s claws pulled up out of the dirt.

I’ve got her now!

Selene snorted fire and smoke. Her long neck swayed from side to side. Her violet eyes were intent on the caves. She continued her retreat.

What’s going on here?

One by one, wurmers emerged from the shadows of the caves. Ten of them, claws sharper than swords that twinkled in the night, flanked Selene.

This should be interesting. I’m no fool. I’ll just wait and see what she says to them. She probably has them wrapped around her finger like she once had me.

Striking with uncanny speed, the wurmers plowed into Selene. Her body was covered in the scaly fiends. Only her whipping tail could be seen.

Selene!

“Maaaaaaarrrroooooo!”

With a fearsome roar, Nath tore his body out of the rocks and pounced into the fray.

The wurmers let out shrill cries.

With a bone-crushing stomp, Nath silenced several cries. Fully healed now, Nath tore into the wurmers. Fueled by his vengeance for the yellow streaks, he cut loose. Plucking wurmers from Selene like ticks, he pinned them to the ground.

They nipped and clawed at him.

Nath responded in fiercer kind. He took in a lungful of air and blasted them with flames that ended their existence.

“Save your breath!” Selene cried out. There was desperation in her voice. “Save it, Nath!”

“Hah,” he said. “Like I should trust you.” His tail coiled around a wurmer’s neck. He lifted it up and slammed it repeatedly into the ground.

Wham! Wham! Wham!

“Nath!” Selene cried out. “Help me!”

His head reared up.

Four wurmers had latched onto her. Two of them sank their teeth and claws into her neck.

Her violet eyes popped open, filled with pain.

The hot glow of the wurmers’ powerful maws ignited with fire. Lava oozed out, down Selene’s neck.

She let out a horrifying howl that split the air in the sky.

“Haaaaaaarrrrrrrrllllllllll!”

Nath’s scales stood on end.

Selene’s supine body went limp, and the light in her eyes faded.

“Nooooooooo!”

CHAPTER 19

Nath’s golden eyes burned like fire. Staring down the wurmers, he unleashed a blast of power from his eye sockets. The rays of light cut through one of the wurmers on Selene’s neck, killing it. He let loose on another. Eye beams blasted into it and turned it to ash and powder.

The remaining wurmers detached themselves from Selene and launched into Nath.

Fueled by a desperate sense of urgency, Nath’s massive body became a juggernaut of battle. He bit down on one wurmer and crushed it in his jaws. His claws smashed a second one into the ground until its bones became dust.

Die, you scaly vermin! Die!

The third wurmer pounced on Nath’s head. Its razor-sharp talons tore at his eyes.

He reached up and grabbed the wurmer and squeezed it between his dragon paws.

A hot stream of fire shot from the wurmer’s mouth, covering Nath’s face.

“Argh!” Nath roared. “Enough of this!” He crushed it like a beetle in his hands and slung its corpse into the woods. Still tormented by the burning oil, Nath buried his face in the ground. The flames extinguished.

Need to be smarter than that, Dragon.

Shaking his head and slinging off the dirt, he quickly scanned the area. All the wurmers were dead.

A soft, weak, and desperate voice caught his ear.

“Nath.” It was Selene. She lay flat on the ground, trying to push herself up. Her neck was sagging. Her chin rested on the ground. “Use your fire.”

“On what?” he asked. His eyes narrowed on her. “You?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m no fool, Selene. I’m certain this is some clever ploy to trap me. Where’s Brenwar?”

Irritated, she pushed herself up off the ground. Her neck still drooped, and it had horrible gashes in it. Strength returned to her voice. “You are mad!”

Glancing at her wounds, he replied, “I see you are feeling better.”

Selene, smaller and standing beneath him, looked up at him and said, “I can’t believe you.”

“Don’t play games, Selene. Where is Brenwar?”

“I don’t know where that bearded man-goat is! If he’s lost, then it’s your fault, not mine!” She craned her neck and winced. “Now, will you listen to me? We don’t have much time!”

There was truth in her voice. Nath felt it. He’d always been able to discern the truth from a lie. But Selene had fooled him before. Still, her neck was in bad shape. Blood seeped between her claws that held it. Finally, he said, “What do you want me to do?”

“That’s a wurmer lair,” she said, pointing at the caves. “I went in and found the larvae, but the wurmer guardians found me before I could act. The wurmer eggs aren’t too deep, but there are hundreds of them. You need to stick your head in there and turn loose the heat. Do you understand me?”

“And turn my back to you?” Nath objected. “I don’t think so.”

“Dragon King,” she said, softening her tone, “you must listen. I’d do it myself, but I’ve nothing left. I can barely stand.”

“Tell me where Brenwar is first.”

“What in all of Nalzambor makes you think I have that dwarf?”

“Someone saw you fly away with him,” Nath said.

“Someone who?”

“A raccoon.”

Selene’s jaw dropped. Then, with incredulity, she said, “A raccoon? Are you being serious?”

Taken aback, Nath said, “Yes.”

Selene started to laugh. “Ha ha! Please, you are making me laugh! And it hurts. Heh heh! The Dragon King and his raccoon advisor. Haw!” She sucked her teeth. “Oh, it hurts.”

“Stop it,” Nath said.

“Ha ha! I wish I could,” she said, slapping her tail on the ground. “Heh heh heh! But I can’t. So, where is this advisor?”

Feeling like a fool, Nath filled his chest up with fire. He glared at her, turned, stuffed his head inside one of the caves, and unleashed his flames. The white-hot blast vaporized everything in its path. Nath let it all out. His anger. Humiliation. Frustration. His fire stopped. He pulled his head out of the hole and found Selene.

She had a wry smile on her face. “Well done, Dragon King. I’ll be right back.” With a hitch in her gait, she slipped back into one of the caves.

Nath sat down on his haunches. His head was light, and he saw spots in his eyes. He’d never let out so much fire before. All the cave openings were smoking brown now instead of yellow.

Huh, didn’t know I had that in me.

A few minutes later Selene emerged. “That took care of it,” she said. She held out her dragon palms, revealing an amber stone a little bigger than an egg. Something dark green wiggled inside. “Wurmer egg,” she said. “It survived, but I dug it out. There’s always a remnant that will survive if you are not careful.”

The larva inside spun and rolled. It radiated evil. Its thrashings were revolting and vile.

“What are you going to do with it?” Nath said.

Selene squeezed it into goo in her claws. She rubbed the muck into the dirt. “I just wanted you to see it, so that you would know.”

“Thanks. I still need to find Brenwar, though.” He averted his eyes. “And I …”

“Nath, I understand why you might not fully trust me. After all, I did try to destroy you once. But I won’t again. I promise.” She sighed. “You gave my life meaning. Once I accepted it, I knew I couldn’t go back. I’ll die first. Trust me or not, you won’t get any trouble from me.” She sagged and swayed. “Ugh.”

“Selene!” Nath said. “You are not well.”

“It’s the wurmers’ poisoned flames. It will fade away. I just need to rest.”

“You rest, then. I’ll watch out.”

“I’ll be fine. The threat has passed.” She lay down in the grasses by his feet and closed her eyes. “Besides, you need to go and find Brenwar.”

Nath’s eyes grazed over her form. She was so beautiful adorned in her sparkling black scales. Supine. Graceful. Mesmerizing. She’s amazing.

“I can feel your eyes on me,” she said with her eyes still closed. “Do you like what you see?”

“Huh?” Nath stammered out. “The truth is, you aren’t half bad for a dragon.”

“You’re supposed to increase in charm as you get older, not lose it.”

“Well, unlike you, I won’t be older for a much longer time.”

“Whatever you say, Dragon Boy.”

“Boy?”

CHAPTER 20

Selene slept a week, just as he had when he’d been poisoned by the wurmers. During that week, Nath found that his patience was not tried at all.

Too soon, she was up again. “I’ll help out with Brenwar,” she said. “Besides, I’m curious about this raccoon you met.”

“Curious why?” Nath asked.

“Because I don’t recall any raccoons being in that area of woodland. It’s possible but atypical.”

“The woodlands are full of varmints. Especially the raccoons.”

“Did you see any others?”

“No,” he said.

“But you do know that raccoons travel in families typically, don’t you think?” She stretched out her wings and yawned. “Tell me more about this raccoon.”

“He was big for a raccoon. White with brown eyes and brown rings.”

She rolled her eyes. “A brown raccoon? You’re certain?”

“Sure.”

“Have you ever seen a brown raccoon before?”

“No, but there are plenty of things I’ve never seen. And what makes you such an expert on critters anyway?” Nath expanded his wings and took flight, and then he yelled back down, “Oh, come on. I’ll show you.”

Selene jumped into the air and flew after him. “Oh, I can’t wait.”

***

Nath and Selene were back in the woodland where he’d lost the scent of Brenwar. Pushing between the trees and bending them aside, he sniffed the air.

“Let me guess, you lost the raccoon’s scent too.”

“Just give me a moment.”

“Sure, take all the time that you want.” She shrugged her eyes. “But I smell many things, and a raccoon isn’t among them.”

Selene was right. Nath didn’t smell a single raccoon, but there were plenty of squirrels, chipmunks, and other such things. If dragons could blush, his cheeks would be red. It was embarrassing. He’d missed something again.

“Just keep looking,” he moaned.

The search continued, but it was futile. Though the woods were big, Nath was still too big for them. His presence unsettled everything. Finally, he eased back into a clearing and waited for Selene to return.

I hate being wrong, and I don’t much like her being right, either.

Selene emerged into the clearing. “Giving up so soon, are we?”

“There has to be an explanation for this.” He dropped his horned head into his hands. “Selene, have you ever encountered a fairy empress?”

“No, I can’t say that I have. Why, have you?”

“Brenwar and I found one in a tomb. Her name is Lotuus.”

“Tell me more, Nath. Don’t leave out a detail.”

Nath filled her in from start to finish, leaving them both in silence.

“I’d say there is a very good chance that Lotuus is behind this.” She smacked Nath’s leg with her tail. “And you didn’t even consider this before? Instead you blamed me.”

“But the raccoon said—”

“Oh hush it, Nath. Besides, I’ve forgiven you already.”

“You have? Why?”

“Why? Because you saved my scaled back at those caves, that’s why. If you hadn’t shown up, I might very well have died.”

“Well, I’d hate for that to happen, even though you are difficult …”

“What!”

“And irritating.”

“You think I’m irritating,” she said, rising up to full height.

“Not to mention beautiful.”

“Oh.” Selene’s composure softened. “Now that’s more like it.” Slowly, she approached and nuzzled into his chest.

Nath’s heart pounded harder and faster. Swallowing, he eased his tail around her waist and pulled her closer.

She kissed him on the cheek and said with a soft look in her violet eyes, “You’re learning, Nath.”

“Oh please,” said an unfamiliar voice. “I don’t think the two of you are married.”

Nath and Selene stiffened into upright positions and eyed the owner of the voice.

A big raccoon, chestnut ringed, stood atop a small boulder, checking his claws.

“You!” Nath said.

“Me,” the raccoon said, touching his chest. “Yes, I suppose it is me. What about it?”

“Where is Brenwar?” Nath demanded. Silently he snorted the air. The raccoon still didn’t have a familiar scent. “Out with it now.”

“I told you,” the raccoon said, pointing at Selene. “She has him.”

“I certainly do not!” Selene said.

The raccoon giggled. “Well, I might have been mistaken. These eyes aren’t quite what they used to be. You’ll understand when you get to be as old as me.”

“Enough games, raccoon.” Nath stomped his paw. “Tell me where Brenwar is!”

“Who?”

“You know very well who, you trickster.” Nath crept closer. “The dwarf. Black bearded with a skeleton hand.”

“What’s he doing with a skeleton hand?” the raccoon said.

Nath slammed his paw down, shaking the ground. Boom! “Tell me where he is!”

“Eh, easy, big dragon. You might hurt something.” The raccoon scratched his head. “Boy, you really aren’t getting this, are you?”

“What do you mean?” Nath said.

“Come on, you know better than that.”

“You are that trickster, Lotuus.”

“No,” the raccoon said, shaking his head. “I don’t know who you are talking about.”

Nath lowered his snout over the raccoon’s face and sniffed him again. Hmmm, he has no scent at all. He has to be made of magic, but who and what is he? He snorted again.

“Hey, easy,” the raccoon said, hugging the boulder. “I don’t want to venture into your nose.”

“Humph!” Nath said, eyeing the raccoon with continued suspicion. He stared deep into its eyes.

There was something there.

Something familiar.

“Gorlee!”

“Hah!” the raccoon slapped his knee. “It’s about time. Ulp!”

Nath snatched the changeling up in his claws and squeezed. “Why the games?”

Eyes bugging out of his head, Gorlee shifted his shape into the human form of Nath Dragon. “I’m a changeling, remember. We don’t do things the easy way. Besides, I needed you to track down Selene and bring her back.” Struggling in Nath’s clutches, he said, “Do you mind?”

Nath set him down and said to a human-looking version of himself, “So Brenwar is safe, then?”

“Yes, he is. He’s back in Dragon Home. He’s pretty slow, so I sent him back with a teleportation stone, but the two of you can fly there.”

“Why would we do that?” Nath said

“Because Balzurth sent me to get you.”

Nath’s blood thinned under his scales. “My father is back from beyond the Great Mural?” He looked at Selene. Her eyes were as wide as moons. He turned back to Gorlee. “Why?”

“He didn’t say,” Gorlee said. He walked over to Selene and patted her on the back. “How have you been doing, Selene?”

“Fine,” she said, glowering at him.

Gorlee backed away and slapped his hands together. “Glad to hear it. Now, which one of you grand beasts is flying me back to Dragon Home?”

For the moment, Nath’s tongue was tied. Going home was one thing. Being summoned was another. He felt like a child again. What is this all about? I can’t stand it. He lowered his head. “Get on, then.”

CHAPTER 21

Dragon Home. On the outside, things had changed. Dragons soared the nearby skies now. Colorful families of the scaly beasts huddled in the peaks. The deep valleys at the bottom of the mountain showed glimmers of the families hunting and frolicking with one another.

Lava flowed in small streams down the mountainside. The caves smoldered and sputtered out smoke.

A pair of blue razor dragons darted by, making friendly squawks. Several heads popped up at Nath’s flying approach. They squawked hellos and welcomes. Fire Bite dragons the size of piglets swarmed the air and blew hot puffs of fire at him.

Nath was elated. In all his days before, he’d never received so much as a welcome, but he was accepted now. He was a friend. A fighter. A champion. He was their king to command them.

“They sure are making a fuss about you,” Selene said as they flew, eyeing two columns of silver dragons that were guiding them toward the great mountain. “I guess they don’t know any better.”

“Funny, Selene. Hah-hah.”

They dropped into the largest mouth of the cave and landed. The massive cave led to a very tall and wide passageway. Gorlee hopped down onto the carved stone path. “It’s an awfully big place, isn’t it?”

“You might want to shift shapes, Gorlee.” Nath’s heart was pounding as he eyed the passages that led to the throne room. “We wouldn’t want to confuse anybody.”

“Good idea,” Gorlee said, “But who should I be?”

“Why don’t you try being yourself for a change?” Nath suggested.

“Seems boring, but why not?” Gorlee made a face. “Uh, Nath, what do I look like?”

***

Nath gazed at the huge chamber doors towering over his frame. He studied the dragon images inlaid in the brass. Selene stood at his side, and Gorlee stood down between his feet. The changeling’s skin was hairless and pinkish, his head bald, and his eyes big green baubles in the sockets. He was odd looking and lanky and wearing a set of loose cotton robes.

Nath raised his paw up and started to knock. “Wait a minute, this is my throne room.” He shoved the door open and gazed upon the heaping piles of gleaming treasure. “After you,” he said to Selene.

Inside, coins jangled and shifted under his feet. The throne room with its high columns didn’t seem as big as it used to. Of course, he’d spent most of his time the size of a man before. At least that was how he had departed it last. He eyed the great throne, a backless chair plenty big enough for him and crafted from the finest metals. He made his approach, head moving side to side. “I guess I’ll have a seat and wait then.”

“Hold it right there,” said a gruff voice. From behind one of the throne’s legs, a stout black-bearded figure stepped out.

“Brenwar!”

“Aye,” said the dwarf. “No need to get all emotional.”

“I’m just glad you’re well,” Nath said, leaning down. “I was worried.”

“Humph.” Brenwar lowered Mortuun to the treasure floor and rested his hands on the butt of the shaft. He stood at attention, eyes forward. He didn’t blink.

Nath looked at Selene and gave a shrug.

Her eyes were fixed on the gigantic mural behind the throne.

The painting always changed. The dragons and clouds in the sky moved in an endless and timeless scene. The changes were slow and subtle. It was like watching a very slow and massive hourglass with the sand draining. It took its time, but eventually it changed.

“So, I guess the waiting part begins. Say, Gorlee. Gorlee?”

The changeling was nowhere to be found.

“Well that’s just great,” Nath said. “He probably has the right idea, though. Wouldn’t surprise me if we stood here for days.” He tapped his claw on the treasure-coated floor. “Or weeks. And just when I was about to close in on my mother.”

“Always be wary. Plans change. Be prepared for the unexpected,” Selene said.

“I suppose.”

I wonder what Father has in store for me now. He told me it would be fine to chase after Mother. Perhaps I should have completed the mission by now. Of course, I would have if Brenwar didn’t slow me down.

“So, Brenwar, as I understand it, you teleported, but you won’t fly? Didn’t you use the old ‘Dwarves don’t teleport’ line on Gorlee?”

Brenwar didn’t move.

Oh great. He’s assumed the position. Guzan, I’m liable to be standing here for weeks.

Nath gazed around the treasure room. There was nothing worse than waiting, even though he was a dragon and extremely patient. But this was different. He was waiting on his father—again—and he couldn’t help but feel like he was in trouble. Still, he was looking forward to seeing his father again. He realized he might not see him again for a long time. It did his heart well.

But for Balzurth to come back, there had to be trouble.

Oh, I’ll just give him a hug. Certainly he’ll be as happy to see me as I am to see him.

Selene’s tail swished into his. “I’m not sure I like this. Her eye grazed the vaulted ceiling tops. “Reminds me of my days with Gorn—”

“Let’s not utter his name here,” Nath interjected. “He shouldn’t ever be mentioned in these hallowed halls.”

“Noted,” she said. “Let’s just pray this has nothing to do with him or his ilk.”

“I’m certain his existence is entirely wiped out,” Nath said, with a sneer. “I felt it myself.” He locked his eyes on Selene’s. “You haven’t sensed him again, have you?”

Flatly, she said, “No. But evil is so hard to destroy.”

“As if we didn’t already have enough of a problem with the wurmers.”

The mural warbled, and a massive dragon stepped through. Balzurth came. The great horns on his head seemed to stretch to the top of the ceiling. The great muscles underneath his deep-red scales, flecked with gold, appeared more powerful than ever. His voice had as much thunder as it ever had. The room quavered, and the piles of coins shifted when he spoke.

“Welcome home, Son.”

Nath pulled his wings back. “It’s good to be home, Father.” He stood eye to eye with Balzurth and butted horns with him. “You look as grand as ever.”

“And you are quite the specimen of a great dragon yourself.” Balzurth turned away and faced the other dragon in the room. “Hello, Selene. How are you?”

“Quite well, King Balzurth.”

Balzurth’s golden eyes examined her black-scaled body. “I sense that is not entirely true.”

“What do you mean, Father?” Nath asked with surprise. “Selene is just as spirited as ever.”

“No, no she isn’t, Son. That’s one of the reasons I brought you here.”

“It is? Why, what is wrong?”

With a sad look in his eyes, Balzurth said to Nath, “Your friend Selene is dying.”

CHAPTER 22

“Dying?” Nath said. He swatted her gently with his tail. “I’ve never seen her better. You’re fine, Selene. Tell him.”

She looked up at Nath with weak eyes and shook her head. “No, I’m not. My time in this world has run its course.” She turned and faced Balzurth. “How did you know?”

“I’ve always known. It’s what Gorn does. If he goes, all of his closest acolytes go with him. It’s in their bloodstream.” Balzurth stretched his tail out and brushed it over her cheek. “You’ve been living on borrowed time, and now your time has come.”

Nath’s heart sank in his chest. “What? No. This cannot be. What are you talking about, Father?”

“Selene is a dragon the same as most, but more gifted, born black. Gorn found her at birth and took her under his wing.” Balzurth cleared his throat. “He cursed her blood and blended it with his. She can’t live in this world without him.”

“I thought Gorn was a spirit.”

“He was, but all evil spirits can taint things.” Balzurth stepped around the throne and put his wing over Selene.

Tears dripped from her eyes.

Nath’s eyes started to water. “What are you going to do?”

Balzurth then said to his son, “She’s made the right choice: good over evil. She’s one of us, and I’m taking her with me where she can live well—beyond the mural.”

Nath was numb. Despite their battles, he’d become as close with Selene as anyone. Now she was going to be gone! He probably wouldn’t be able to see her again for at least a thousand years. He turned and faced her. “Is this what you want?”

“This is the only choice I have.” She shrugged. “But it’s hardly a bad thing. It’s just happening so suddenly. Quite frankly, I’m not ready. I feel my work here on Nalzambor isn’t finished. That’s why I’ve been working so hard to eradicate those wurmers. I’m partially responsible for that mess, and I knew I needed to clean it up. Now, it’s going to be a burden for you and the rest of the world to deal with.”

“Does she have to go right now, Father?”

“We need to be prudent about it, Son. I sense the poison could strike her heart at any moment. Can’t you sense it as well?”

Nath shut his eyes. His heightened senses reached out. Selene’s heart fought for every beat. She was strong, but the fight in her was weakening. There was a deep sadness in her, too. “Can we not heal her?” Nath suggested. “Perhaps the Ocular of Orray can help? It removes curses.”

Selene brushed his cheek with her tail. “It’s been tried. It worked for a time, but that time is up. Nath, don’t be so sad. Without you, I never would have made it this far. I’d have been dead with no hope of life beyond the mural.”

Nath stomped his paw. “Why didn’t anyone tell me this until now? We could have been searching for a solution.”

“Nath, you have to live your life and I have to live mine,” Selene said. “Just let it be.”

“Come now, Selene,” Balzurth said. “We must go now. A new life will begin beyond the mural.”

“Can’t she leave, be cured, and come back?” Nath said to Balzurth.

“Only I can leave and come back, Son. And it’s quite taxing to do so. Now, say your goodbyes so you can resume your quest.”

Nath clasped Selene’s claws in his. “We can beat this, Selene. There must be a way.”

“This is my choice, not yours,” she said. “And I fear I’ve done much more harm than good in this world.” A giant teardrop dripped from her eye and splashed on the treasure. “Will you rid Nalzambor of the wurmers for me?”

“No!” Nath retorted. “You need to do that yourself. But I will help you.” He turned on Balzurth. “Father, you’ve told me countless times that there is always a way to solve anything in this world. So tell me how to solve this. Please. What can I do to help my friend?”

Balzurth’s voice darkened. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to.”

“So there is a way?”

“One that comes at too great a price,” Balzurth said.

“No price is too great, Father. I’d give my life for hers.”

“Nath!” Selene said, gasping.

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Son.” Balzurth rolled his eyes. He leaned over and poked Nath in the chest. He ran his paws over Nath’s horns. “You are as fine a dragon as there ever was, Son. Are you willing to give that up?”

“What do you mean?” Nath asked.

“Oh, you say you’ll give up your life, but let’s qualify that. Will you give up your life as a dragon?”

Nath swallowed. “I can’t stop being a dragon, can I?”

“You’ll always have a dragon’s blood, as you did before you changed. But what if you gave up all of your other powers? The gift of flight. Your iron hide. Your humongous girth and awesome power. Hmmm?” Balzurth poked him again. “Can you give all of that up? Not to mention the crown of the dragon kingdom?”

Nath shrank inside his scales. “I can’t give that up. I’m the Dragon King now.”

“A Dragon King that has only spent minutes on the throne,” Balzurth said. “You know, I was seven hundred and fifty-some years old before I assumed the throne from your grandfather, and it took another five hundred years to get used to it.”

“But, it’s my destiny to be king, is it not?” Nath said.

“Oh, destiny can wait. In the meantime,” Balzurth said, taking a seat on the throne. “I can keep an eye on things.”

“Nath, you can’t do this. Not for me. I’m not worth it,” Selene said, stroking his cheek with the back of her paw. “You love all of your dragon powers. It wouldn’t be right for me to be restored and you to be the lesser of what you were before.”

“You don’t want to leave, Selene. I can feel it. And I don’t want you to leave, either. Deep down inside, we both know we aren’t to be separated.”

“But it wouldn’t be fair for me to have my powers and you to not have yours.”

“Ahem,” Balzurth interrupted. “Oh, but you would pay just as big a price as he, Selene. You both would be affected. You both have to want this. There is no other way.”

“So, we’ll be made human again?” Nath said to his father.

“I can’t say exactly how it will work out. All I can say is that your powers will be severely limited. Notably so.”

“Does this mean I can never be king?”

“You’re a king already, Son. Always have been. Always will be. But, if you do this, you’ll have to assume the title of Dragon Prince again. At least for now. And that won’t be easy.”

Nath looked down at Brenwar. The dwarf’s eyes glanced up at him and quickly looked away. His friend seemed so tiny. Vulnerable. Nath didn’t want to feel that way again: mortal.

“Now’s not my time, is it, Father.”

Balzurth sat there, deep in thought. His thinking lasted for days.

Nath and Selene stayed right there with him, figuring it was a good thing Brenwar had frozen, or the dwarf might have become bored.

At long last, the old Dragon King made his pronouncement.

“As a man, Nath, you defeated Gorn Grattack and ended the Great Dragon War, but I think Nalzambor still needs you, as a man. And the world needs Selene, too. And … you two need each other, I believe.”

Nath’s eyes found Selene’s. “As I understand it, life is awfully nice beyond the mural.”

“And life as a king can be just as delightful,” she replied. “I wouldn’t give it up for the likes of me.”

“Well,” Nath smiled and stared deep into her eyes, “then it’s a good thing that you aren’t king. Father, I’m ready.”

Balzurth nodded. “What about you, Selene?”

“Can two bad decisions produce something good? I guess there’s only one way to find out. I’m ready.”

Balzurth leaned forward. “So be it. Now, clasp hands, close your eyes, and repeat after me.”

CHAPTER 24

Nath’s heart pounded in his skull. Darkness surrounded him.

Guzan! What’s happened to me?

The last thing he remembered was his father saying some words. Ancient and mystical. Powerful and transforming. The words had felt like they were separating his bones from the marrow. They penetrated his very core. The essence of his being. He struggled. His eyes wouldn’t open. His limbs wouldn’t move. His entire body was hemmed in by warm goo.

How am I even breathing?

His heart beat faster and faster. It thundered in his ears.

Settle down, Nath. Certainly your own father wouldn’t do you in. Would he?

Blood racing through his numb limbs, his body started to tingle. His strength grew. He pushed with whatever part he could feel. He hit something stiff. It was smooth to the touch.

What sort of prison is this? What has become of me?

Feet gathered into his chest, he stretched out. He kicked at the wall that held him fast.

Something cracked.

He kicked again and again.

The ooze around him began to spill out from the hole, and light crept over his eyelids.

Excited, Nath unleashed all of his limbs at once. Busting out of the strange shell, he started into a fit of coughing.

Yuck! What is this?!

Gagging, he spat up fluids until he could spit no more. Using his hand, he wiped the goo from his eyes and squinted them open. The light was painfully bright, and the surrounding sounds were muffled. A stiff breeze chilled his warm bones. Using his fingers, he cleaned out his nose and earholes. He rubbed his lobes.

“I have ears!”

“Yes you do, sleepy head,” said a muffled voice. “And a tongue, too!”

Nath shook his head like a dog and wiped all he could from his eyes. On opening them up, he found Brenwar. “You’re much bigger than before,” he said, spitting ooze from his mouth. “So I guess that means I’m much smaller?”

“Well, you certainly aren’t any smarter,” Brenwar added, “but if I were ever happy, I’d be happy to see you.”

Nath took in a deep gust of air. He was in the woodland, and a stream trickled nearby. His feet stood on large chunks of reddish-green shell and goo that reminded him of an … “Was I in an egg?”

“It looked like an egg to me, hatchling,” Brenwar said with the grimmest of smiles.

Nath stretched out his arms and hands. They were that of a man, but they still had scales. Black scales and golden-yellow claws. Eyes wide, he twisted his head over his shoulder and spun around. “No tail. No wings.” He thumped his chest with his fist and forced out more coughing. “I feel so weak. Vulnerable.”

“If you were smart, you would’ve asked to come back as a dwarf. We never feel that way.”

Nath stared at his hands. His body. His chest was skin with a slight mix of scales. The same went for his legs. He felt his face. His sensitive touch revealed nothing but smooth skin on his face. He smiled when he felt his long hair.

He let out a breath and gazed up at the birds chirping in the trees. One darted into flight, and others followed. He became aware of a hole inside of him. He used to tower over the trees. Over everything. Now he looked up to it all again. He held his head and sat down.

“What’s wrong?” Brenwar asked.

“This will take some getting used to, that’s all. Where are we, anyway?”

“South of Dragon Home.”

“Say, where’s Selene?”

“Getting something to eat,” Brenwar said, eyeing the streams. “Been gone since dawn.”

Nath jumped up. His head spun and his legs turned to jelly. He crumpled down on the ground. “Oof. I am weak.”

“And whining. Now get up.” Brenwar offered his arm. “Get up now.”

Nath took Brenwar’s arm. It was like grabbing an iron rung that pulled him up. “Hah. I guess my strength will come back soon enough.” He surveyed his colorful surroundings. “So Selene is well, then? How long has she been up?”

“Two days.”

“She got out two days before me? Really?”

“It hardly matters. You always slept too much.”

Combing his fingers through his hair, Nath then asked, “So how long since we left Dragon Home?”

“A few weeks?”

“Brenwar …”

“Give or take a few months.”

“Are you jesting?” Nath said in shock to Brenwar.

Brenwar eyed him.

“Guzan! A lot can happen in a few months.” Strolling over the grasses, he noticed he had toes and not clawed feet. He waded into the waters and rinsed off. The goo was quickly shed from his muscular frame and washed away with the waters.

Brenwar handed Nath an off-white suit of commoner’s robes and some boots.

Once he was dressed, Nath scooped up a handful of water and drank. “I guess I’ll have to get used to drinking from cups and goblets again.”

“And routine bathing will probably be in order,” replied a voice much softer than Brenwar’s.

Nath whipped around and found himself staring at Selene. She stood on the bank wearing commoner’s robes like his. Her hair was long and jet black, her eyes violet fire. Behind her back, a long black tail swished over the grasses.

“How do you feel?”

Shrugging her eyes, she said, “As mortal as I ever felt.”

“Yes,” Nath agreed, “me too. Exciting, isn’t it?”

CHAPTER 25

Traveling on foot, Nath, Selene, and Brenwar made it within a league of the Lost City of Borgash. Standing atop an overlook, Nath squinted his eyes toward the distant city. Its once-tall spires, now rubble, lay all over the barren and broken land.

“I don’t see a sliver of life in there,” he said, fading away from the edge of the overlook and standing alongside Selene. “What about you?”

“Though my vision is not what it was, I still see a few things that scurry.”

“You do?” Holding his hand over his eyes to shade them from the bright sun, Brenwar leaned forward on the overlook. “My eyes are as good as any. I see nothing.”

“Look closer. Scorpions crawl along the sand underneath that archway.”

Brenwar scowled. “Poor eyesight, my hide. Pah!” He marched back and grabbed his gear. “You still see better than the eagles.”

“I would hope so,” Nath said. He had the urge to pick up a weapon, but there was nothing to grab. He and Selene had nothing on aside from their commoner garb. It was odd. The clothing itched a little. It was nothing like being covered in dragon scales. He sat down, took off his boots, and dumped debris out. His feet were swollen, pink and tender. He started to rub them. “Sultans of Sulfur! Is that a blister?”

Selene giggled. “Exciting, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s horrible. My feet hurt, and I swear there’s a kink in my neck. And I can only imagine that my hair is a mess.” With a sour face, he eyed the blister and extended his index finger’s claw. Wincing, he sliced the blister open. “Ow!”

“Oh my, that’s embarrassing, you scaly child,” Brenwar huffed. “Perhaps I should get out a healing potion for you.”

“Would you please?” Nath said, more ordering than asking.

“Absolutely not! That’s not a wound.”

“But it could get infected,” Nath whined. “Great Guzan, what am I saying? I’m worried about a bloody blister. Shame on me.” He punched the ground he sat on. “Shame on Nath Dragon!”

Playfully, Selene said, “I could carry you.”

“No, we’d better make a stretcher and drag him,” Brenwar offered.

“Be silent, both of you. Blast!” Nath got up and hopped away from the pair of them until they were out of sight. Being smaller and weaker was a horrible thing. He missed the grand power he’d had. The ability to fly. The power to take on anything. He’d been the most powerful creature in all of Nalzambor, and now he felt like nothing. “I can’t believe I did this to myself.”

Selene appeared from underneath the low-hanging branches and said with a guilty look on her face, “Having regrets?”

“Yes,” he said.

Selene frowned. “I see.” She turned away.

“No, wait, Selene,” Nath said, hustling over and grabbing her arm. “Not about you. Certainly not about that. But losing all of that power. It’s going to take some getting used to.”

“You know, Nath, the first time I met you, there wasn’t an ounce of doubt in you. You weren’t scared of anything. And you were less powerful than you are now. Ask yourself, what is different?”

“About five tons of brawn and scales.”

“Seriously?”

“Come on, Selene. Certainly you should understand. Don’t you feel weaker?”

“Physically, yes. Mentally, no. I still have my wits. Have you lost yours?”

He kicked a fallen branch. “No. But I liked being a dragon. Now I might not ever be one again.”

“You’re still a dragon, Nath Dragon.” She brushed her long locks behind her back. “Just a little smaller. You’ll get used to it.” She extended her hand. “Now let’s go find your mother.”

He took her hand in his. It was warm to the touch. Invigorating. The bounce returned to his step. After thinking things through, he came to a simple conclusion.

I’m a man once again. I have to live with the decisions I make.

Brenwar had already begun to forge ahead. He’d slid halfway down the steep hillside and had begun a determined trek into the valley.

The Lost City of Borgash was lost from sight and the wind picked up, howling through the half-dead trees. The area surrounding Borgash was eerie. It was heavy in overgrowth. Vines and roots jutted up like massive snakes, shooting from the ground and twisting around the trees. The berry bushes were barren. The leaves brown. The mosses weren’t green but rather a sickly yellow. Soft and spongy on the ground.

Nostrils flaring, Nath broke the silence, “I’m not so sure about that smell. Not to be crude, but it smells like a giant defecated.” He covered his nose. “It’s foul.”

“It’s no more offensive than your words to my ears,” Brenwar said, climbing into a corridor of fallen boulders. “Yer giving me a headache.”

“Mind your tongue. I’m still—”

Selene tugged on his arm.

“What?” Nath stopped and looked at her.

“You might want to let that argument go,” she said. “Things have changed, remember?”

“But I’m still the—”

“King? Prince? Does that really matter now?”

“I suppose not. It’s just that—”

Selene pressed her finger on his lips and gently shushed him. Her nose twitched. Her eyes darted from side to side. “Let it go. We have more important things to worry about.”

“Like what?” Nath asked.

Brenwar let out a yell. “Goblins!”

CHAPTER 26

Having snaked their way into the path between the rocks, Nath and company found themselves pinned in now. Brenwar stood face to face with a knot of goblins pressed into the path.

Little taller than the dwarf, they stood brandishing crude swords, spears, hatchets, and knives. Their dark hair was matted and greasy. Carved bone jewelry rattled on their chests and necks. Their yellow eyes were wide with evil.

“Perhaps that’s what I smelled,” Nath said, lifting up his foot and standing on one leg.

“Uh, are you going to stomp them?” Selene said.

Nath put his leg down and gave a shrug. It was instinct. He’d gotten used to crushing many things under his powerful legs. Now all he had was muscle and claws. “Brenwar, let’s see if we can come out of this encounter peacefully.”

“Never,” Brenwar said back over his shoulder. He held Mortuun out in front of the goblins’ eyes. “If you value your lives, you dirty things, you’ll be stepping aside.”

The goblin in front, a small, hunchbacked knot of muscle, licked his lips and showed a mouthful of jagged teeth. “Dwarf. Mmmm. Lots of meat under that beard. Should be fun to kill. Delicious to eat.”

“We’ll see about that,” Brenwar said, raising his war hammer high over his head.

Nath turned his ear upward. Scuffling clamored off the rocks that hemmed them inside the path.

Several more goblins appeared. Spears were poised in their sinewy arms. Their beady eyes hungered to attack. “I don’t suppose you are open to negotiation?” Nath said in Goblin.

The lead goblin spat a wad of dark juice, wiped his mouth, and said, “We’ve not eaten in days.” It set its eyes on Nath, then they shifted to Brenwar. “This dwarf should suffice. Leave him and you may pass.”

“Let me think about that.”

“What?” Brenwar said.

Nath made a quick count. There were ten goblins that he could hear and see. Their eyes were feverish with hunger. Desperation was in the leader’s voice. Hearts pounded behind their bone breast-plated chests. I can’t believe I’m wasting my time with this. If I was still a dragon, they’d be fleeing into the hills. This is beneath me. Summoning the authority in his voice, he said, “Tell you what, goblins, let us pass and I’ll let you live.”

The lead goblin made a face like he’d swallowed a large bug. In the next instant, his expression darkened and a rage-filled order burst forth from his sweaty lips. “Attack!”

Brenwar ducked underneath a slicing sword and charged straight into the leader.

Behind Nath, Selene’s tail licked out and swatted two goblins across the face at once. Both tumbled headlong into the path.

“Nice move,” Nath said, spinning around and snatching a spear that was flying toward his neck.

The goblin that threw it gaped, wide eyed. It went for the knife tucked into its belt.

Nath spun the spear around and busted the goblin’s hand. “None of that, now!”

Clutching its hand, the goblin cried out in pain.

Nath slugged it across the jaw with the butt of the spear.

It stumbled into one of the boulders, knocking its metal helmet off. “That will … oof!”

A pair of goblins flung themselves into Nath and drove him headfirst into the ground. One wrapped around his legs and started biting. The other goblin locked one arm around his neck, squeezed, and started stabbing at Nath’s chest with his free arm. The blade bit deep.

“Argh!” Nath twisted the knife free from the goblin, dipped his shoulder, and, with a heave, slung it off his neck. He turned his attention to the one latched onto his leg and biting it.

Its teeth sank deep into his calf.

Now realizing he still had his boot in his hand, Nath started beating the goblin with it. “Get off of me, you dirty tick!”

Selene’s tail coiled around its neck and jerked it free. She hoisted it high in the air and slammed it into one of the nearby rocks. Thud!

Ahead, Brenwar had a goblin pinned down by the neck. He hammered it in the face with his fist. “Eat me, will you? Eat this!” Wham! Wham! Wham!

Chest heaving, Nath caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye.

Above, on the rocks, a goblin and its spear were poised to attack.

Nath sprang high in the air, landing right beside the slack-jawed goblin.

It made a desperate lunge.

Nath caught the spear and ripped it away. He cracked the goblin upside the head with the shaft, breaking the spear. Whap! Whap! Whap!

The goblin fell to its knees and begged for mercy. “Please, stop! Please stop! No more hungry. Please!”

Nath picked it up by its ragged armor and trousers, and with a heave, he tossed the goblin far into the woods.

The party of goblins that survived quickly grabbed all the fallen weapons and fled in all directions, leaving Nath, Selene, and Brenwar alone once again in the crevice.

Looking up from the path at Nath, Selene said, “You’re bleeding. Are you going to cry about it?”

Blood pumping through his battle-charged veins, Nath smacked his fist into his palm and replied, “Let’s go find some orcs.”

***

The Lost City of Borgash was anything but lost. However, it was a wasteland. Nath and company entered from what was left of the main gate that led into the city. A rusting portcullis—big enough for giants to enter—was torn asunder. The rocks that held it were half rubble, but many still stood firm. There were markings. Carvings in the stone.

Nath ran his fingers over the edges. “What do you think, Brenwar?”

“Well before my time. Not much in the dwarven archives, either.” He ran his hands over a fallen stone column. “Clearly not made by dwarves, or it never would have fallen. Har. Probably elven or orcen.”

“What about you, Selene?” Nath asked. “Any ideas?”

She ran her hands up and down her arms and shivered a little. “It’s eerie. It’s always been my understanding that there was an invasion and the people just disappeared. But that was hundreds, maybe thousands of years ago for all I know. I don’t think anyone really remembers. Besides, there are several cities that have come and gone just like this.”

“This was no small city,” Brenwar said. He climbed up a pile of vine-covered rubble. “It rivals the likes of Quintuklen. If there is a clue about your mother here, it will take days, maybe weeks to search it out. And with the air so foul, it will take some getting used to.”

“At least we’re here, so let’s get started. Perhaps we should split up,” Nath suggested.

“There’s danger here, Nath,” Selene said, covering her shoulders with her hands. “I’ve no doubt we aren’t alone. And there’s a reason not many venture too deep into Borgash.”

“Really, why is that?”

“Because most that go in don’t come back out.”

CHAPTER 27

Borgash was big indeed. The abandoned city stretched for miles in all directions. Most of the city was nothing more than part of the landscape, but in places there were remnants of once-thriving stone buildings.

Nath climbed up a series of vines where dead-looking trees sprouted up like massive pylons. The bark was petrified and swallowed up by the prickling vines. He sauntered out on one of the branches and spied on his surroundings.

Not too far off in the distance, Brenwar stood on the ground, moving large rocks and boulders back and forth.

That should keep him happy. Well, “content” might be a better word.

Selene was nowhere in sight. Nath felt a little guilty about that. He’d insisted they split up. They didn’t need to watch over him anymore, dragonman or not. If anything, Selene needed an eye kept on her. After all, her roots had once been steeped in evil.

They’ll be fine. This place seems harmless enough. He reached up, dug his claws into a branch, and pulled himself up to greater heights. From his perch up in the dead and leafless tree, he could see all around, and so far as he was concerned, there wasn’t much to look at.

I can see why no one leaves. They die of boredom.

He stretched his arms out and spread them wide. Oh, if I could only fly!

You can.

Nath froze with chills going up his spine. Finally, his lips moved. “Eh, is someone there?”

There was no reply. Just the soft howl of the wind. Nath spun around on the branch and looked everything up and down. There was nothing in the tree. No birds. No nests. But there were some holes bored into the wood. He shook his head. “I must be hearing things. My own imagination, perhaps.”

Glancing back down at the ground, he noticed Brenwar was gone.

A chill wind slid over Nath’s neck, standing his nape hairs on end. His body tingled, but not in a good way. He felt unseen eyes all over him. The warmth of the setting sun on his face began to fade. Shadows from distant mountains changed the look of Borgash’s landscape. Nath rubbed his neck. Perhaps splitting up wasn’t such a good idea.

Too impatient to scramble all the way down the tree, he hopped down the last twenty feet and landed soundlessly on the soft ground.

Not bad. Couldn’t have made such a subtle landing before, I’ll admit that.

He was headed in the direction he’d last seen Brenwar when Nath tripped and fell. “What in the world?” Glancing down, he noticed his feet were tangled in some vines. He started ripping the vines from his boots. “Stubborn things.”

Finally, his feet were free, and he carefully backed away. Glancing up, he noticed the tree he’d just climbed from was different. The branches were bent downward, seeming to come right at him, but still stiff and frozen.

“Odd. Very odd.” He took off at a trot, traversing the jagged landscape of the fallen city, and found himself standing where he’d last seen Brenwar. There was no sign of the dwarf. No tracks, either. “Oh, I’m not losing you again.”

By taking in a whiff of air, Nath found that Brenwar’s dwarven musk lingered. On cat’s feet, Nath picked his way through the foliage and growing shadows. If Brenwar had passed through the direction Nath was headed, there wasn’t any sign of him.

I don’t like this. I don’t like it at all.

Nath stopped and turned. Behind him, the grasses he had trodden on didn’t show the slightest sign that he’d passed through there at all. He squatted down and pressed his palm into the moss- and grass-covered ground. After he lifted his hand there was an impression. It lasted only a moment, and then the grass and moss had returned to their prior places. “That’s new.”

Glancing up at the setting sun, he noted there was little light left in the day. With a twitch in his nose, he hustled after Brenwar.

Great Guzan. What if this place has eaten him?

Pushing through the overgrowth, Nath noticed that every fiber of life he touched seemed to scrape and pull at him. His boots got stuck in between some more vines, and he ripped his foot clean out of the leather. He reached down only to find the ground and foliage swallowing his boots up. “Sultans of Sulfur!” He grabbed them just in time and hopped over more vines while he put them back on.

Keeping to the trail of Brenwar’s scent, Nath sprinted away.

I’ve got to warn Brenwar! Find Selene!

Jumping over fallen stone after fallen stone, he emerged in a barren spot of land and came to a sudden halt in front of a living and gaping hole.

His eyes were locked on Brenwar’s.

The dwarf was bound up in the new tendrils of a vine just outside a monstrous maw in the hole, encircled with teeth. On the other side of the expansive monster, Selene was corded up and being dragged into the gurgling hole.

“Selene!”

CHAPTER 28

The gaping hole of vegetation groaned. Deep in its middle, a ring of teeth chomped up and down. The vines gripping Brenwar and Selene dragged them downward toward the bone-crunching hole.

“Hold on!” Nath yelled.

There were no replies. Selene and Brenwar’s mouths were encircled by vines. Their eyes were pleading and filled with desperation.

“Blast! If I was bigger, I’d rip this thing out of the ground!” Nath’s eyes searched for something, anything that might aid his friends. He dashed around the rim of the monster. “Selene! Give me your tail!”

Her tail whipped out. Nath stretched his fingers as far as he could, but there was still a considerable gap around him.

Suddenly, more vines burst forth from the monster’s mouth. Like venomous snakes, they came right for him. He backpedaled. His feet were snagged by a tangle of vines and grasses. “Blast!”

Selene and Brenwar continued to descend deeper into the hole. All of their struggles were in vain.

“No!” Nath ripped free of the foliage.

The tendrils from the mouth reared up and encircled his arms. The vines tugged at him with tremendous force.

Nath tugged back with all his might. He ripped a tendril clear of the monster’s mouth. Snap!

The ground shook.

The monster let out a shrill cry. Eaaerrrrrrrr!

Nath ripped out another vine. Snap!

The earth buckled beneath him.

“Hah! You don’t like that, do you.”

More tendrils burst forth from the monster’s mouth. Dozens of them surged for Nath all at once.

“Not good!”

Striking fast, the tendrils ripped at Nath’s legs.

He leapt backward and bounced off a boulder.

The tendrils snaked over the rim and pressed after him. The other grasses and vines came to life, holding him fast.

“This entire place is alive!”

While he was pushing himself out of the tangles, the boulder in front of him inspired an idea. He darted to the other side, wrapped his arms around it as best he could, and hoisted it up onto his shoulder. “Argh!”

The tendrils coiled up his legs and squeezed.

Sweat beading on his brow, Nath fought for balance and shuffled forward. The skin on his legs started to burn. The tremendous weight of the stone strained every muscle in his shoulders and back. Using the tugging of the evil vines, he continued the slow march forward.

“This is it, monster,” Nath said through gritted teeth. “I’ve got a bellyful for you.” Standing on the rim of the sunken maw, he hunkered down. With a heave, he launched the huge rock off of his shoulders and down into the mouth.

The boulder smashed right into the snapping mouth.

The ground rocked and reeled.

The earth let out an uncanny shriek. Rreeeeeeeeeee!

The tendrils uncoiled from around Nath’s legs and darted back down into the hole.

The rock covered the mouth entirely.

The tendrils attacked it. They bounced off the gritty surface over and over like snakes gone mad.

Without hesitation, Nath slid down the side of the hole and yanked Selene free of the tendrils. She was gasping for breath. Nath carried her in his arms and set her down on the rim.

Below and butted up against the rock covering the mouth was Brenwar. There was a disgruntled look on his face. Nath scurried back into the hole, broke away the clinging tendrils, and fetched him up and out of the hole.

“Is everyone all right?” Nath asked.

The ground tremored beneath them.

“By Mortuun! The cursed ground here is living!” Brenwar said. He raised the war hammer high.

“Stop, dwarf!” Selene said, staying his hand with hers. “This isn’t some mountainside you can cave in. This evil breathes.” She shoved into him. “Let me handle this.”

“How dare you!” Brenwar growled, pushing back.

Selene’s hands flared up with fire.

Brenwar’s eyes became moons.

“Selene! How can you do that?” Nath said, gaping.

“I’ve been a priestess, have I not? My ability to craft magic is not gone. Does it make you uncomfortable?”

“Just a little surprised is all.”

She shook her head and turned away. Mystic tones and arcane words spun from her lips. Fire rushed from her fingertips, driving hard into the monster.

The ground screeched.

The gaping hole spread with flame. The tendrils writhed, popped, and crackled. The expanse became a burning pyre where vegetable turned to ash. The rock inside its mouth collapsed out of sight. Gray ash drifted in the wind.

Leaning over the edge, Brenwar said, “All we had to do was set it on fire?”

Selene dusted her hands off. “Mystic fire. But I took a chance.”

Nath eyed her.

“What?” she said, eyeing him back. “I’m a lifelong spell crafter.”

“Then why didn’t you use your craft before?” Nath asked.

“The same reason the dwarf didn’t get in a swing of his hammer. I was surprised.”

Nath nodded. “If you say so.”

“Nath, now is not the time to doubt me again.”

“Well, maybe if you didn’t have those black scales, we wouldn’t doubt you,” Brenwar interjected.

“Black scales. Are you jesting, dwarf?” She pointed at Nath. “Have you not noticed his too?”

“Aye, I have, and I don’t like them. Black is a sign of evil.”

Nath put his fists on his hips. “Well, your beard’s black. Does that make you evil?”

“What?” Brenwar clutched at his beard with his skeleton hand. “Why no.” He rapped Mortuun’s shaft down on the ground. “Like I said, ‘Black, isn’t it glorious!’”

The three of them had a little laugh.

Nath then turned to Selene. “I have to admit, I’m envious. It seems you have much of the power you once had. I don’t appear to have anything.”

Selene cupped his face with her hand. “Nath, be patient. I couldn’t have lifted that boulder.”

His eyes brightened like gold stars. He flexed his black-scaled arms. “No, I guess you couldn’t.”

“I could’ve,” Brenwar said, staring down at the hole.

“With the gauntlets, sure, but look at that thing. It must have been a ton if not more.”

“It wasn’t that big,” Brenwar said, still staring into the black hole. He reached down and found a piece of broken vine. He waggled it in front of Selene. “Do you mind, snake tail?”

“Oh,” she said with smoldering eyes, “you are a bold one, Bolderguild.” With a snap of her fingers, the tip of the vine was encircled in flame.

Brenwar tossed the makeshift torch into the hole. It landed with a crunchy sound that echoed upward. “By Morgdon, that hole is full of bones!”

CHAPTER 29

Nath stood inside the hole, surrounded by bones piled as high as his chin. Beside him, Brenwar pushed through the skeletons, making a path.

“Guzan, there must be hundreds of them,” Nath said. He picked up a skull and held it before his eyes. “Look at these high cheekbones. This one is elven.”

“It seems the creature took all kinds,” Selene said, holding up a round skull with heavy bone. “I’d say this one is dwarven or orcen.”

Brenwar snatched it away. “Orcen? Pah! It’s dwarven. And it needs a proper burial.”

“Don’t be silly, Brenwar. We can’t pick through all of these bones to bury your dead. They’ve probably been at rest for hundreds of years.” Nath plucked up a sword out of the pile then dropped it again when he saw that its metal was long rusted through. There were hundreds of decaying things scattered all over. “The dead are at rest. Let them rest.”

Brenwar tucked the dwarven skull under his arm. “I’ll bury him if I want.”

“Fine, Brenwar. Fine.” Wading through the bones, Nath sauntered up to Selene. Her tail was brushing the piles aside. “So, what do you make of this? Do you think this monster is what made Borgash extinct?”

She held a head in front of her that still had some hair on it. It was long and showed canine teeth. “A gnoll. A shame they aren’t all gnolls, but no, I don’t think this monster was the demise of the city. All of the races seem to be represented here. This is just hundreds of years of victims. Treasure hunters, perhaps? Travelers. All victims of the guardian.”

Nath cocked a brow. “Guardian?”

“One of many in this valley, I’d say. And if I’m correct, this plant monster is called a devourer, though this is the biggest one I’ve ever seen.”

“Where did you see them before?” Nath asked.

She dusted off her hands and faced him. “I don’t think that really matters now. Excuse me.” She brushed by him and began shifting through the char that used to be the dangerous plant. “Ah, see this?”

“Guzan!” Nath said, jumping back. “Kill it!”

Out of the ground, a tendril with a white bud on the end was writhing about. Selene seized it with her hand. “These devourers have strong roots and grow back quickly. You have to destroy the root.” She started to tug on it. “A little help, please?”

Nath wrapped his arms around her waist, dug his feet in, and started to pull her back.

“This isn’t exactly what I had in mind,” she said.

“Oh, hush and hang on.” Feet digging in, he started to pull her back harder. “Guzan! How deep is this thing?”

Puffing for breath, Selene said, “I thought you were strong!”

Nath set his jaw, leaned back, put all of his muscles and weight into it, and said, “I sure hope you don’t break.”

“I won’t!”

“Grrrrrr!”

Rip! The plant gave.

Nath stumbled backward and crashed into the bones. Selene was on his lap, holding the squirming tendril. At its end, a huge red tuber, bigger than an ogre’s head, pulsated like a heart.

“That’s creepy!”

Brenwar charged up with Mortuun.

“No, dwarf!” Selene said, stretching out her arms.

Mortuun the Crusher came down with ram-like force.

Splat!

Slime and goo covered Selene and Brenwar.

Jumping to her feet with fists balled up at her sides, she screamed at Brenwar, “Fool of a dwarf!” Her tail rose up behind her. “I’m going to kill you!”

Brandishing his war hammer, Brenwar fired back a warning. “Watch yerself, dragon lady.”

Nath, shielded behind Selene, chuckled. “You two just aren’t ever going to get along, are you.”

Combing the gunk out of her long black hair, Selene walked away. “Probably not.”

“You really should try being a little nicer to her, Brenwar.”

Brenwar’s eyes widened. “Me? Why?”

“She’s a woman.”

“With a tail, and not so long ago, she tried to destroy me, you, and the rest of the world.”

“We’re past that now, so try to put forth a better effort.” Ignoring Brenwar’s frown, Nath glanced up out of the hole at the darkening, star-filled sky. “It’s going to be blacker than my scales before long. Hmmm.” He picked up a skull and chucked it into the black expanse that surrounded the hole. The sound of it skipping off stone echoed back. “That’s interesting. Uh, Brenwar, we could use a torch or something. Do you have your tinderbox handy?”

Selene slipped in between Brenwar and Nath. “So primitive.” With a snap of her fingers, her hand glowed with a warm green light. Its wavering glow illuminated the entire hole and beyond.

Gaping, Nath said, “Looks like the Lost City isn’t so lost after all.”

CHAPTER 30

Deeper into the bowels of Borgash they walked. It was an underground city with a sky made of dirt. Selene’s light cut through the dimness, revealing remnants of paved streets and buildings. Dirt and a slick coat of grime covered most of the area. The sky of dirt and roots was suspended above them, looking to collapse at any time. Somewhere, water trickled inside the eerie expanse.

“What do you think, Brenwar?”

The warrior held a small torch now that gave off a warm, glowing yellow light. He climbed up on a half-covered statue of a centaur and poked at the dirt ceiling with his hammer. “Hmmm, seems to have held hundreds of years; no reason to believe it won’t hold a few hundred more.” He hit it harder with his war hammer.

“Is that really necessary, dwarf?” Selene said, backing up into Nath.

“If it falls, I’ll dig us out. It just might take a few years.”

“Come on,” Nath said. “If there is anything to be found, I can only assume it’s below ground and not above.”

Venturing deeper into the buried realm, Nath rolled his shoulders. The tightness in his back remained. Something lived here. Something dark. He dusted off his nose with his thumb. There was a stench, too. Not dirt or mud. Not bones or rotting flesh. Something unnatural. A lurking of Evil.

There were plenty of normal creatures that lived beneath the ground. Dragons were one of them. Gnomes and dwarves were well known for making league-long holes. But not too many creatures lived without daylight for very long. Hibernated, yes. Lived, no.

“What’s on your mind?” Selene asked.

“Everything feels wrong.” He kneeled down and began brushing off some caked dirt that covered a fallen statue. On uncovering its oversized visage, he discovered a monstrous face with multiple eyes and a mouthful of fangs. “Seem familiar?”

“I’ve never seen a carven image the likes of that before,” she said, but…” She backed away and began clawing away hunks of dirt that covered the stony walls. Her efforts revealed painted images. Runes. People. Monsters. Violence. “I’m starting to think the devourer is here for a great reason.”

The way she spoke made Nath’s skin prickle. “You said it might be a guardian. A guardian of what?”

“A guardian that not only keeps things from getting in,” she said, moving away from Nath. She kept the light of her hand pointed at the dirt ceiling. There was a higher spot above. The roots moved away from her light. “Nath, you know how you said this place was evil?”

“Yes.”

Selene started back toward him. Standing by his side, she said, “I’m pretty sure you’re right.”

“Brenwar, did you hear that? She said I was right. See, Selene can be sensible.”

Selene jabbed an elbow into his ribs. “Don’t be foolish. We need to go.”

“Really, why the rush all of a sudden?”

Selene knelt down beside the cruel and unusual face that Nath had revealed. She pointed at it and said, “Because I think I know what this is. It’s an image of an old titan.”

“Titan?” Nath said, making a quick shrug. “What’s a titan?”

“The race that enslaved man. That tried to enslave the dragons as well.” She started packing mud back over its face. “The race that would stop at nothing to enslave Nalzambor.”

“Step aside,” Brenwar said. With a quick swing of his hammer, he busted the image of the old titan face. Bang! “Humph. That’s better.”

“Will you quit hitting everything with your little hammer?” Selene said.

“We don’t hesitate to deface the titans where I come from,” Brenwar said, resting Mortuun back over his shoulder. “Ever.”

Brenwar’s tone was serious.

The truth was, Nath had never heard of the titans before today. He’d gathered from Selene that they were legend more than anything. Men and women of great renown, worshipped like deities, who had deceived the races in times past. Judging by the age of that statue, it had happened long before his time, just the same as Borgash. “So, are we staying in or going out? I’m opting for in. I’m not going to find my mother by being cautious. But if you don’t want to venture any farther, I understand.”

“Oh, please,” Selene said, rolling her eyes.

“Shaddap,” Brenwar added, holding his torch out and venturing deeper into the passage.

“It seems we’re all in again. Great.” Nath glided to the front. He could feel the heat from Brenwar’s torch on his back. Using his keen eyes, he had little problem making out the deeper outlines of the cavernous passage. Here and there the old roads were revealed. There were still standing walls and columns with markings on them. Old wooden stables were petrified. The air was dank and musty. It would take days to search all of the cave city. Maybe weeks. They might have to dig, and digging wasn’t very much fun.

“Seems like a strange place for your mother to be,” Selene said. She stood by some stalactites and stalagmites that had formed around a small pond near her feet. “I’m not so sure that I’d trust a fairy. Certainly not a fairy empress.”

“You didn’t have to come—not that I’m unhappy that you did come—but this is all we have to go on for now.” Nath came across a wide staircase of stone that wound deeper into the ground. Squinting, he swore he saw a wink of light down there. “Say, Brenwar, what do you make of this?”

Brenwar sauntered over and peered down the steps. “Looks deep,” he said, bobbing his head. “I like deep.”

A wink of light flashed.

“Did you see that?” Nath said in a whisper.

Brenwar replied in kind, “Aye, I did.” He started down. “And I hear water, too.”

“Coming, Selene?” Nath said.

Holding her glowing hand out, she stood behind Nath and said, “You first.”

Nath took a breath and headed down after Brenwar.

One thing is for certain. Being small leads to many more interesting places.

The stairway was well over a hundred steps down, its hard surface slick with damp mud. Nath had been in caves all of his life. Even Dragon Home had been bored out of a mountain, and there were prisons more than a hundred feet deep. But this was different. It gave him a mysterious feeling that he couldn’t shake. It clung to his scales. Rushed his breath.

“Bottom,” Brenwar said. He stood inside a chamber the size of a small cathedral. The light did little to capture the full grandeur. Square columns and great arches held up the expansive ceiling. Colorful murals above glinted in the faint light cast from below. “Sound craftsmanship.”

“Dwarven?” Nath asked.

“Not that sound.”

A bright light, distant and wavering, appeared far away from them. Humanoid in shape, it glided forward. Nath’s breath became icy. The shade closed in, getting bigger. Towering over them all, it came to a stop. Faceless, robed, and ethereal, its haunting voice froze Nath’s bones.

CHAPTER 31

The apparition spoke, turning blood to ice water.

Nath felt Selene’s arm entangle with his. Heart pounding in his chest, head gazing upward, he found it hard to keep his eyes fixed on the monster.

Haunting sounds came from its ghostly lips. Its language was unnatural and changing. A howling shriek burst from the veiled face of the apparition.

“Hoooowwww-eeeeee-hooooooowwwwww!”

Nath’s knees buckled. His legs turned to jelly. Hair billowing, he covered his ears. Beside him, Brenwar dropped to a knee. Selene’s sharp fingernails dug into his arms. “Selene, what do we do?” he asked, trying to shout over the howling shriek.

Shouting in his ear, she replied, “I don’t know!”

The apparition’s wispy veil lifted. Its face contorted and twisted, showing brief glimpses of all the races. Its shrill voice changed. The tones lifted high and fell back low. Its long-ranging arms stretched toward Brenwar.

The battle-hardened dwarf recoiled. His thick limbs remained rigid.

“Move, Brenwar! Move!” Nath yelled. At least he thought he did. He couldn’t tell now. His own limbs were stiff and frozen. His tongue seemed to cleave to the roof of his mouth. Fighting against his frozen bonds, he reached down, grabbed the dwarf by the collar, and jerked him back.

The apparition’s hands wavered to a stop. Its face settled into an image more readily seen. Its features sharpened. High cheekbones. Pointed ears. It opened its thin lips and spoke its first intelligible words in a deep and hollow tone. “Who are you?”

That’s Elven! Nath’s unseen shackles melted away. An old dialect, but it’s Elven. He spoke back in the best Elven he could. “Nath. Nath Dragon.”

The apparition’s face shifted from elven to the face of a dragon. It spoke again, this time in Dragonese. “You are odd for a dragon.”

Nath looked at Selene, only to find her eyes as wide as his. He turned back to the apparition and replied in Dragonese, “It’s a long story. And who might you be?”

The haunting figure diminished somewhat in stature. Its foreboding presence eased. Its long hands stretched out again, cupping around them all but without touching. “Blood runs through your veins. Life-giving blood. Ah, so desirable. So delicious. How fortunate you are to live.”

“Who are you?” Nath said. “What is your purpose?”

“Ah, to live again. To breathe. To taste.” The ghost’s hands lashed out and enveloped Nath. “So wonderful!”

Nath’s head jerked back. His blood turned to ice and fire. A flood of memories washed through his mind, not his but someone else’s. The apparition’s. There were battles. Great titans ruling man and fighting dragons. Death. Life. Loss. Destruction. “Stop it! Stop it!” Nath screamed.

A blinding light flashed. Pain split through his skull. In slow motion he saw himself fall and crash into the cathedral floor, unmoving. Someone rolled him onto his back. Selene stared down at him. Her lips were moving, but no sound came out. Brenwar appeared. Gruff. Angry. Confused. He reached down and started smacking Nath’s face.

Will you quit that?

Nath coughed. Finding a small reservoir of strength in his weakened limbs, he tried to sit up. Brenwar and Selene propped him up.

“Nath,” Selene said, cupping his face in her hands. “Nath, can you hear me?”

Blinking away the pain behind his eyes, he said, “Yes, stop yelling. What happened?”

Brenwar pointed down at the cathedral floor and said, “That happened.”

A man in white robes danced on the cathedral’s floor, his bare feet slapping it. Hands on his towheaded hair, he side-stepped back and forth and was singing in a complicated common tongue that the old-timers used in more remote farms and villages deep in the valleys.

“Who is that?” Nath asked. He took Brenwar’s arm and allowed the dwarf to help him to his feet. He stretched his aching back. “Gads! I feel like I’ve aged a hundred years.” He caught Brenwar and Selene glancing at each other. “What?”

“Nothing,” Selene said, showing an uncertain smile. “How are you feeling?”

Rubbing his head, Nath said, “I haven’t been sleeping a hundred years, have I?”

“Why, do I look a hundred years older?” Selene said.

“No, it’s just the pair of you have some very peculiar looks on your faces.” He rubbed his beard and said, “Gads! What happened?” Nath clutched handfuls of red beard in both of his clawed hands. “I’m not a dwarf, am I?”

“What?” Brenwar growled. “Now you’re dreaming. But the beard is a good look for you. Other than that, you look normal, aside from a few new wrinkles.”

“Be silent, dwarf!” Selene said.

“Wrinkles!” Nath cried. He felt his face. His skin was tighter, and there were creases in his forehead that had never been there before. “What did that thing do to me?”

The dancing man in the robes came running up the stairs, leapt up the last few, and said, “Apologies and thanks!” He grabbed Nath’s hand and shook it vigorously. “I could not help myself! Tee-hee! I breathe again!”

Nath’s nostrils flared. The man was taller than Nath and big boned, but there was nothing powerful about his build. A strange, big man, a hair over seven feet tall. Human, but odd for that kind. He seized the man’s wrists. “I’m only going to ask you this once. Who are you and what did you do to me?”

“Azorath is my name, I think. Azorath, the gatekeeper of Borgash.” He grimaced. “Your grip is iron, liberator. You need not fear anything else from me.”

“What did you do to me?”

“I merely stole some years from your life force.” Azorath blinked at him. His eyes were black glass and spacey “Please, do not fret, you have plenty. A hundred years or so won’t hurt you.”

“A hundred years!” Nath started pushing Azorath back down the steps. “Give it back!”

“I fear I cannot! I admit, I would not. The flesh of life is in me again!”

“The flesh of life will be gone from you if you don’t undo this.”

“You would not kill me, Nath Dragon,” Azorath said with a feeble smile. “It’s not in your nature.”

“It’s in mine,” Brenwar said.

Selene confronted the man. “It’s in mine as well.”

“Er …” Azorath’s eyes danced back and forth among the three of them. “Slaying me won’t change a thing. It was worth it. And so will your sacrifice be as well, Nath Dragon.”

“I didn’t sacrifice anything,” Nath said. “You stole it.”

“The moment you ventured into the bowels of Borgash, you sacrificed everything to find your mother.” Azorath tapped his finger to his head. “And I know where she is.”

CHAPTER 32

Azorath led now. Nath, Brenwar, and Selene followed. The former shade, now a man, picked his way through the subterranean levels of the fallen city. They climbed over huge chunks of road that had been heaved up. Passageways that weren’t made by men. Their eerie guide talked the entire time.

“This was the square here,” Azorath said, running his hands over a piece of twisted metal. “Many celebrations and ceremonies. Weddings. Feasts. Grand times, at least until the titans came. They had a different way of celebrating. They killed and ate people. Pitted one against the other. Horrible times, but the dragons liberated the races.” He pointed at Nath. “You understand that. A brave and noble thing, fighting for the weak and saving them from the strong.”

“Yes, you’ve said that before, shade,” Brenwar said. “How much more walking and talking? You say you know where Nath’s mother is. How much farther is she?”

“Almost there,” Azorath said, climbing down over a ledge and stopping before a stream of water that trickled. He pushed his hands down in the water and giggled. “I have not drunk nor eaten. I thirst!” He stuck his face in the water and drank. “Ah!”

Brenwar stepped into Nath and Selene’s path. “That thing is not right. Don’t trust it.”

“I know, Brenwar,” Nath said, watching Azorath continue to drink and giggle. “But if he knows anything, we have to take that chance.”

Brenwar shook his head and followed after Azorath.

“You’ve been awfully quiet, Selene. What do you make of this?” asked Nath.

She rubbed his shoulder. “It’s not for me to decide. It’s your quest. You lead, I’ll follow.”

Nath nodded. Despite the creepy feeling he couldn’t shake out from under his scales, he found a ring of truth in Azorath’s words. He wanted to believe the strange man knew where his mother was. Why am I trusting someone who just sucked a huge part of my life from me? How did he know I was searching for my mother? Did he steal my memories as well?”

After finishing off another handful of water, Azorath continued. “You’re probably wondering if I’m the only survivor left of this once-great city.”

“No,” Brenwar said.

“Sure you are, so I will tell you. Yes, I am.” Azorath ducked between two buildings that had collided and formed an unnatural archway. “I was chosen to be the gatekeeper. To be the last. You see, the titans were defeated, but their dark ways were not. Borgash broke out in civil war once the deity-like beings were out of the picture. This faction fought with that one. Everything began to come apart at the seams. The wizards and priests battled for rule and order. Earthquakes broke out. Tornadoes screamed. It went on and on until everyone fought and no one survived. It was madness.”

“Still don’t care,” Brenwar said. He shoved Azorath forward. “Now get us to where we need to be getting.”

“I can’t help but share my speech. It’s been so long since I spoke to anyone. Forgive me for enjoying your miserable company.” He ducked his head underneath a low archway that led into a tunnel. “I find it delightful.”

Nath rubbed his temples.

I feel like a fool. Just don’t look like one, Nath. Be wary of a trap.

He trod over the grime-slickened stones, keeping Azorath in sight. The lanky man had a spring in his step. His whistles echoed, too.

That doesn’t make my head much better.

Finally, the gatekeeper came to a stop in front of an archway that was broken in half. Above it, two massive rocks had collided. Pitch blackness was on the other side of the archway. “Through here,” he pointed. “Answers to the questions you seek.” He reached for Brenwar’s torch. “May I?”

“Get yer own.”

“Brenwar,” Nath said, “please, oblige him.”

With a grunt, Brenwar handed the torch over.

Azorath waved it back and forth and erupted in a short series of giggles then said, “I can’t help it. I feel the warmth from it. It’s delightful.” He stuck it through the archway. The flames vanished in the blackness. He pulled it back out, and the flames were still alive. “I warn you. It’s very dark in there, but not far.” Showing a row of big, smiling teeth, he said, “Who goes in first?”

Nath didn’t move, and neither did Selene or Brenwar.

“I see,” Azorath said, “then I guess it will be me.” He hopped into the blackness and vanished.

Selene let out a sigh.

“What was that for?” Nath said to her.

“He bothers me,” she said.

“Me too,” Brenwar agreed.

“Nath, now that he—or it—is gone, I’m more prone to speak freely. I’m not so sure there is anything to be gained from this venture. You don’t have any evidence to go on about your mother, just the word of a fairy, and now this creature. They are both far from trustworthy.”

“Aye,” Brenwar said.

“I’ve considered that,” Nath said, “But what if my mother is down inside this horrible place? I can’t bear the thought of that. Not to mention I want my years of life back.”

“But why would she be?” Selene said. “This place fell more than a thousand years ago. Your mother gave birth to you maybe two hundred and fifty years ago. Why would she come here?”

“Those are good arguments,” he said, “but my gut tells me that I need to at least eliminate the possibility.” He stepped up to the arch and stuck his hand in it. It felt like he had stuck his fingers in ice. “I’m going in.” He extended his free hand. “Anyone else?”

Brenwar came forward. “I’m going, but I’m not holding your hand.”

“I will take it,” Selene said, taking his hand in hers. “But don’t get used to it.”

Head ducking down, Nath led them into the archway.

CHAPTER 33

Emptiness. There was no worse feeling than nothing at all.

Guzan, what madness is this?

He tumbled through the blackness, yet there was no wind in his hair. Selene’s touch was gone. His heartbeat was missing. Only his thoughts remained. A mind without a body. Soundless, he drifted in nowhere.

I’ve been deceived!

Struggling to find his own self, he noted a small window of light. He swam toward it. It became bigger, brighter, and it swallowed him whole. Wind rushed by his ears. His arms and legs flailed. “Gah!”

He crashed into a soft bed of sand. He spat the sand from his mouth and shook it from his hair. A shadow fell over him. He glanced up.

“Incoming!” Brenwar yelled. The dwarf landed on Nath’s chest.

“Ooof!” He pushed Brenwar off and helped him to his feet.

Brenwar shook the sand from his beard. “This is a fine place.”

They stood on a huge bed of cool, wet sand. Water trickled from all around, running down slick, polished cave walls. A soft green light illuminated the cavern like a spectral sky. It was humid and sweaty.

“This will probably be a regrettable decision,” Selene said. She was standing behind Brenwar and Nath, dusting the grimy sand from her clothes. Her black hair was matted to her face. She parted it and brushed it back behind her shoulders. Hands on hips, she said, “So, where is your friend?”

Nath shrugged. There was nothing in the cavern but them, and the archway they had entered from was gone. “Any idea how deep we are, Brenwar?”

Brenwar rumbled a reply. “I can’t say.”

Nath kicked the sand. “Just great.”

“Oh, stop being so grim. I was only scouting ahead. Frankly, I didn’t think you would come.” It was Azorath. He lumbered up a sandy hill where water ran like a stream below. “Time has a funny way of working down here, and it’s been quite some time since I’ve been in this area. And with a body?” He felt himself. “Tee hee!”

“Listen, Azorath, enough of the games. Take me to see my mother like you promised,” Nath said.

“I don’t recall promising anything. But if it makes you feel any better, I promise to show you your mother.”

Nath didn’t reply. He’d spent almost all of his natural life wondering who and where his mother was. Other dragons knew, but he never did, and his father had never told him. Deep down it bothered him, severely, but he never dwelled on it for long. Now, to think he might find the answer to his question? He wasn’t sure he was ready. He pulled his shoulders back, marched forward, and said, “Lead the way, then.”

Shuffling over the strange landscape, they moved forward at a depressive gate. Never in his life had Nath felt so displaced. His surroundings were so unnatural and odd. Light without a source from above. An eerie tingle in the air. His heightened instincts choked back and waited to cry for danger. He had to see it through, though. Have faith that his heart would lead him to his mother.

I hope I am not deceived.

He recalled his father, Balzurth, often saying, “Be careful of your heart’s desires. Sometimes it can deceive you. Seek wisdom first. It will always prevail.”

Azorath slogged into the ankle-deep waters and forged away. The strange man’s shoulders swung left to right as he moved. The oddness about him made Nath wonder about the people that had lived in Borgash and the culture they’d shared. He felt Selene take his hand in hers. Softly he said back to her, “You must feel as out of place as I do.”

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to see Nalzambor’s sun again. It seems we’ve been in here for weeks already.”

“Almost there,” Azorath said, picking up the pace. “Oh, that was quick. It seems we are already there. Now gaze, my liberators. Gaze at the Great Wall of Dragons!”

Selene squeezed Nath’s hand and gasped.

Ahead was a great wall indeed. The most magnificent wall that Nath had ever seen. A wall made of dragons. It was expansive, too. It stretched up several stories high and was just as wide. The dragons were a tight cluster of scales, claws, tails, horns, and teeth. They were a colorful mix of stone and marble. Every detail was just as realistic as the next. Dragons, great and small. Nath could tell what they were by the shapes of their heads. There were dragon breeds from the large bull dragons to the smaller fire bites. Finding his breath, Nath said, “Who created this wonder?”

“Why, the dragons did,” Azorath replied. He had his hands clasped behind his back and was studying the wall with adoration. “Quite the sacrifice, isn’t it?”

“I don’t take your meaning,” Nath said. “Are you saying that dragons carved this?”

“No, no, you don’t understand. Come, come,” Azorath said, beckoning with his hand. “Touch it. Feel it. That is the best way to answer your question.”

“I don’t like this,” Selene said, not hiding the concern in her voice.

“I’ve never seen stonework so grand as this,” Brenwar added. “Not outside of Morgdon for certain.”

Nath’s heart beat faster. Drawn to the great wall, he ventured forward and stretched out his hand. With the slightest tremble in his claw-tipped fingers, he laid his scaled palm on the wall. It was warm to the touch. His jaw dropped, and then with amazement he said, “Sultans of Sulfur! It’s beating!”

CHAPTER 34

“I can’t believe this,” Nath said with incredulity. “Selene, you must feel it.”

The raven-headed woman hesitated. “I don’t know about this, Nath. How can they live such a fate? I don’t understand.”

Nath swallowed. Sweat dripped into his eyes, and his heart continued to race. Hundreds of heartbeats, slow and steady, thumped through his palm, igniting his entire body. So many dragons clustered together as one. Why?

Finally, Selene stretched out her hand and touched the wall of dragons. She took in a sharp breath. Tears swelled in her eyes. Her normal calm and cool expression switched back and forth between sorrow and joy. “This is madness. But I don’t sense any torment. Do you?”

Nath searched his feelings. He searched the feelings in the life within the dragon wall. There was no sadness. Just duty. Honor. Comfort for one another. “They aren’t alone in this. They have united together. But why, Azorath?” He tore his hand away. “Why?”

Rubbing his chin, Azorath said with sad dark eyes, “They formed a barrier to keep the titans within. Never to escape again.”

“Didn’t they kill them all?” Nath said.

“The dragons showed mercy in hopes that one day the titans might redeem themselves.” He sighed. “There was a time when they served the world for good, not evil. At least some of them. That is how I remember it, anyway.”

Eyes fixed on the dragon wall, Nath said, “The price is too high. These dragons have lives to live. Certainly there must be a better way to seal those foul monsters within.”

“I don’t know the answer to that,” Azorath said, “but dragons live a long time. And I’ve seen dragons take other dragons’ places.” He walked up to the wall and touched the face of a red rock dragon. Running his hands over its curled tail, he said, “See, this one is new. I’d guess he came here not fifty years ago, when another one left.”

“You’re telling me the dragons know about this, but I don’t? How can that be? Selene?”

“I don’t know either, Nath. It’s a mystery to me,” she said.

“It’s a big world, and it’s full of surprises.” Azorath placed his hand on the wall. “How sad, I don’t feel what you feel. It just feels like a wall to me. Interesting.”

“You were a shade before. Have you ever been on the other side?” Nath asked.

“No, not possible. Nothing can pass through it. No shade, spirit, titan, nor dragon.”

It made sense enough to Nath. Staring at the dragons, he began picking out the details of their faces. He knew every breed. Beyond the color of their scales, each dragon breed had a unique design to its claws, horns, and even the flecks of their iron-hard scales. There wasn’t any type that he didn’t recognize. “I have no idea what my mother looks like or what type of dragon she is. Have you seen her, Azorath?”

“I’ve seen many dragons come and go.”

“You said my mother was here. How would you know that if you hadn’t seen her?” Nath’s brow furrowed. “Show me which one she is.”

“Ask them yourself. It might take me years to sort through all of them. I’m not so bored that I note every detail.”

“This smells, Nath,” Brenwar said. “Smells really bad. This Azorath is a liar. A stealer. I wouldn’t trust another word he said.”

“Don’t be such a dwarf,” Azorath said. “I haven’t done anything you wouldn’t have done given my situation. Again, I’m grateful. I have flesh again, but I do miss my people.”

Nath spread his arms out, held them in front of the wall, and said, “I’m going to ask them.”

“Be patient, Nath,” Selene said, walking in front of him and staying his arms. “We need to learn more about what we’re dealing with. Let’s study the histories and research it.”

“You felt it, too, Selene. We can’t just let them live like this. We must see what they need. Maybe we can help them.”

“They might not want help,” Selene said. “It seems they made their own decision.”

“That’s only a guess.”

“It makes no difference to me. You wanted to find your mother. I care not if you find her or not. But if I could find my mother, I’d probably venture the extra step,” Azorath said, stretching his arms and yawning. “Oh my, did you see that? My limbs tire. What a feeling!”

Nath glanced at Brenwar. The dwarf’s stern expression didn’t offer any advice. He found Selene’s eyes. Beautiful and mysterious, there was doubt lurking deep within. It wasn’t like her at all. Perhaps it was guilt. She’d unleashed something terrible with the wurmers. Sounding as reassuring as he could, he said, “It’s only a question.”

“Then I hope you are prepared for the answer.” Selene stepped away and found a place behind him. “You might not like it.”

Nath placed both hands on the wall. Life flowed through the structure like a living stream. A powerful network of dragons forming a cohesive unit. It was a marvel the likes of which he’d never seen. Without hesitation, he spoke to it with thoughts instead of words.

“Brothers and sisters, I am Nath Dragon, and I am searching for my mother. Is she here?”

The wall trembled. Dragon thoughts assaulted his mind. They probed. They questioned. Nath felt every bit of them. Patient and strong they were. Formidable. Dedicated. His body shook.

“Go away, Son of Balzurth,” they said. “Go away!”

Nath felt them holding back. They protected something. Something that wasn’t beyond the wall. He didn’t back off. “I want to know where my mother is,” Nath fired back. “I am the Dragon Prince. I demand it. Is she here or not?”

Boom!

The dragon wall shook, juttering Nath’s arms. Something had slammed into it from the other side. Nath grimaced. He could feel the dragons’ pain.

Boom!

The wall shook again.

“Go, Nath Dragon, go. We cannot afford this distraction,” they said with fierce desperation. “We must stay focused.”

Nath held on and said again, “Is my mother here or not?”

“I am, Son,” said a female voice.

Every fiber of Nath’s being came to new life. The warmth of her voice enveloped him.

“Mother?” he said, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Son, you must go. You endanger all of us. You’ll see me when the time is right.”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Something raged on the other side of the wall. It was fierce. Unrelenting.

Nath sensed confusion among the dragons. There was pain and worry. How often did the dragons have to endure this?

“Mother! Let me help you! Let me see your face!”

“Nath, you must go before it’s too late. Trust me!” Her words were no longer soothing but worried. “Flee this place with urgency!”

“I cannot let you suffer!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Brenwar rammed into him, knocking him away from the wall. “We have to go! This entire place is coming down!”

“Noooooooooooooooooo!” Nath screamed, clutching at the wall. Selene and Brenwar hooked his arms and dragged him backward. Gaping, Nath watched the entire wall of dragons come to life. Their colors returned. They moved and shifted. Eyes snapped open. Dragon jaws grimaced. They squeezed into as tight a knot as they could.

Boom!

The entire wall buckled.

“Perfect,” Azorath said. He found Nath’s eyes. “We thank you for the long-overdue distraction.”

Boom!

The center of the wall of dragons burst open. Dragons were flung from the air. Something evil and colossal emerged.

CHAPTER 35

The titan was the biggest man Nath had ever seen. His head had two faces: one in front and one in back. The massive man was chest and shoulders on both sides, his body bronze and brawny. One face sneered. The other was shouting, “I am free!”

Nath’s mother shouted an order. “Dragons, attack! Force Isobahn back behind the wall!”

Hundreds of dragons converged, coating the titan.

The huge man—so big he held a bull dragon in the crook of his arm like a pup—slung them off one by one.

The dragons released fire. Lightning. Everything shook. They flung themselves into the titan, driving him back inside the wall.

Nath watched the battle in awe. The dragons, with all their skill and grandeur, were no match for the titan’s relentless power. His massive fist swatted the dragons down like flies. His feet stomped them between his toes. Isobahn was no man. He was pure monster.

“We have to help!” Nath said.

“Aye!” Brenwar said, spitting in his hands and rubbing them together. “Step aside. That giant is mine!” After a few seconds of winding Mortuun in a huge windmill circle, he released the hammer with all his might. The hammer flew and struck the titan between the eyes. A clap of thunder rang out.

Kapow!

Isobahn the titan teetered backward.

The dragons rallied with triumphant roars.

“Push him through, brothers and sisters. Push him through!” Nath’s mother said.

Moved by his mother’s words, Nath, little bigger than the titan’s finger, charged. He hurled himself along with the throng of dragons and scaled up the titan. Clawed hands digging into its coarse flesh, he raced up its belly, up the shoulder, and launched both fists into one of its eyes.

The titan groaned and fell like a collapsed tower.

“Get out of there, Nath!” he heard his mother scream.

Fire and lightning blasted into Isobahn. The titan rocked and reeled. Dragons by the hundreds, all shapes and sizes, piled onto him.

Catching friendly fire, Nath dove away.

Guzan! Where am I?

The other side of the cavern glowed with a burning red light. Streams of lava flowed from the deep. Steam and sulfur tainted the air.

Nath’s eyes watered and burned. Blinking, he watched the dragons reforming the wall.

“Run, Nath! Quickly!”

Nath sprinted for the wall. The dragons were reforming it with incredible speed. He took a quick glance over his shoulder. The titan was back on its feet. Its massive hand reached down and scooped Nath up from the ground.

Nath cried out. “Ahhh!” Pain exploded through his body. His breath fled. His face purpled.

The titan opened up its mouth and started to shove him in.

Sultans of Sulfur! I’m being crushed and consumed. Nooooo!

A gold dragon appeared. It slipped into the jaws of the titan’s mouth and unleashed a firestorm down the titan’s throat.

Nath slipped free of the titan’s loosened grasp. He hit the ground with a thud. Reeling, he forced himself up to his feet, cried out, and fell. His leg was broken. He spat blood and clutched his sides. His ribs were busted.

How many bones did that monster break?!

Setting his jaw and ignoring the pain, Nath hopped on one foot toward the wall.

Behind him, the gold dragon, the most magnificent winged serpentine he’d ever seen, continued to let the titan have it. The monster’s head was nothing but flames.

Still, it fought on, swatting oversized fists at the dragon. None of the heavy blows hit the mark. Roaring, it lowered its shoulder and charged for the wall.

Hobbled, Nath hopped as fast as he could.

The titan’s foot overshadowed him and came down.

I’m going to be goo!

A golden streak whizzed in and scooped him up just as the giant foot came down.

Whoom!

Nath found himself being sped toward the small hole that was left in the wall and whisked through. The golden dragon gently set him on the ground and turned to face the wall. The dragons filled it in with their armored bodies. The final link was set. Their colorful skins and hides began to harden just as the titan on the other side rocked against it.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

“We are safe now,” the golden dragon said. “The wall is secure.”

Finding Selene and Brenwar back by his side, Nath used them to get back on his feet. Then, gazing up at the dragon, he said, “Who are you?”

“I am Grahleyna, Nath. Your mother.”

Three horses tall, she towered over him. She was wondrous. Her pearl-white horns curled over her head, and long black lashes flicked over her golden eyes. Scales twinkled at the subtle movements of her muscles underneath. Nath reached over to touch her. Limping over, he wrapped his arms around her massive leg.

Grahleyna chuckled. “Oh, Nath, let me make this easier for us.” With an utterance of mystic words, she began to diminish in size. Standing gold eye to gold eye with him, she said, “This is better. Is it not?”

She was a fair-skinned, golden-haired woman with a pearl crown on her head. Trembling, Nath reached over and hugged her with tears swelling in his eyes. Her embrace was warm as a campfire. “I was never sure if you were real until just now.”

She stroked his hair. Tears ran down her soft cheeks. She sniffed. “I’m sorry, Nath. I never meant to leave. And I never intended to be gone so long, but I had to do what needed to be done. It was my turn, and the timing was bad. Besides, I didn’t have any way of knowing that you were the one.”

He eased back. “What do you mean?”

“There were many eggs. Some hatch in days, others decades. You certainly know that you have brothers and sisters.” She squatted down and put her hands on his broken leg. “They just hatched dragons, and you a man.”

Nath’s leg tingled with tiny charges of fire. The pain eased. He shifted his weight on it and said, “It’s better, but wait a moment. You said hatched.”

“Yes, why?”

“So, I was born in an egg?”

She combed her fingers through his hair and said, “Certainly. How else would you be?”

“Hah! I knew you were hatched!” Brenwar said. “I knew it!”

Nath didn’t want to think about it. Even though he was a dragon, he didn’t care for the idea of being hatched. He never had, for some reason. Moving on, he asked his mother, “So, can you come with us? Or do you have to stay and help form the wall?”

Boom!

“Oh,” she said, glancing over her shoulder, “Isobahn is secure. He’s not the one we need to worry about. It’s the others.”

CHAPTER 36

“I didn’t see anything else,” Nath said to his mother. Brenwar and Selene looked around with wide eyes, too. “Azorath? What has become of him?”

There was a shuffle of movement underneath one of the dragons who had fallen to the wrath of the titan. It was a gray scaler, little bigger than Nath. A hand stretched up and around its belly. Brenwar jogged over and rolled the dragon over. He jerked Azorath’s haggard form up to his feet. “Here is the wretched deceiver.”

Clutching his chest, Azorath said, “I need to get used to this mortality. I think parts of me are broken. Weee! Ow! I hurt.” His spacey black eyes drifted over to Grahleyna. “I see you found your mother. I told you so, Nath. Giving me life was worth it, now. Wasn’t it.”

“You took what wasn’t yours, Azorath.”

“Oh, you’ll be fine,” he said in his mysterious way. “Besides, with the titans free, you probably shouldn’t plan a life of longevity. But I’m certain yours will be fuller than a hundred lives, for a spell.”

Nath stepped toward Azorath and took ahold of his neck. “What do you mean?”

Grahleyna took his arm and pulled him back. Resting her hands gently on his shoulders, she said, “Finding me came at a price, Nath. You see, Isobahn was a bodyguard of the true threat. Now, the others escape. Crafty spirits they are. They couldn’t penetrate the dragon wall, but little more than ethereal in form, they easily escaped when the wall was breached.”

“So we can’t see them?”

“They are harmless until they take host in other bodies, and that could be anybody,” his mother said. “They prey on the weak. Divide and conquer. The threat they pose is not easily seen. That’s why Borgash fell. The men and women were so divided that even after we vanquished the titans, they still fought among themselves. Once you plant the bad seed in men, it doesn’t take long for their lives to unravel.”

“How did you trap them before?” Nath said.

“In this last case, we trapped them, body and spirit, behind this barrier. Several brave dragons fought them on the other side, hoping to wipe them out of existence, but their valiant efforts failed.” She rubbed his shoulder. “It’s difficult to destroy evil. A remnant always remains.”

Nath’s throat tightened. Did Gorn Grattack still exist? Had Nath not wiped that monster out entirely? “Mother, there has to be a better way than this.” He stretched out his hands toward the wall.

“Don’t,” she said, “else you’ll have Isobahn trying to bite off our heads again. It’s best such darkness lies in the deepness from where it came. Nalzambor’s bowels can hold them without help. And the dragons understand their sacrifice, but a time may come when it has to be made permanent. That is a fate they must choose on their own.” Grahleyna put her arm around Nath’s waist and led him away. “It was destined that they should be let loose for a season anyway.”

“Let loose? Why?” he said, incredulous.

“It’s just the times we live in.”

Long faced, Nath felt his blood seep into his toes. Finding his mother should have been a time of celebration. Instead, he’d loosed more menaces into the world. It didn’t help that he wasn’t in the full grandeur of a dragon, either. He was much weaker.

Selene found her way to his side. “Don’t be hard on yourself, Nath. You couldn’t have known.”

“Your friend is right. Selene, is it?” Grahleyna said, fastening her eyes on Selene’s.

“Yes, your majesty,” Selene said, taking a knee.

“Oh, there is no need for that, my dear.” She helped Selene up to her feet. “You have a great understanding of this darkness, don’t you.”

Frowning, Selene said, “More than I care to admit.”

“Use that knowledge. You’ll need it.” Grahleyna turned back to Nath. “What led you here anyway?”

“Father gave us a hint: ‘What you seek is in the peaks.’”

Grahleyna laughed. “Oh, and that was it. So like him. He gives you just enough information so it will only take one thousand years to find me. But here you are.”

“So does father know that you have been here all along?” Nath said.

“Certainly.”

Angry, Nath said, “Why wouldn’t he tell me that? Why would he just leave you here like this? It’s a terrible thing!”

“And boring, but it’s mostly sleeping, so it’s not so bad.” She poked Nath’s chest. “And don’t you judge your father. It was my choice, not his. He didn’t like it one bit. He had a fit like a one-hundred-year-old about it. He started stomping around and shooting up big puffs of fire. I was embarrassed for him.”

“Father did that?” Nath said. He’d never seen anything like it from his father.

“Oh, don’t be disenchanted. He’s temperamental because he loves me.” She checked her nails and pushed her hair up a little. “And that’s probably why he endorsed your search.”

“Couldn’t he just come and see you?”

“By the Sultans, no! Balzurth would charge right through that wall and try to put an end to those titans. That’s exactly what they want. Take down the Dragon King. End his reign. They were so eager to get out, they missed a golden opportunity. They overlooked you.” Grahleyna turned her attention back to Azorath. “Now what do we do with you?”

“Me? I’m harmless. I just want to walk among men again.” His eyes darted from face to face. “Just a man. One that can live and have a natural death.”

“And a natural death you shall have.” Grahleyna opened her mouth. Bright golden flames washed over Azorath. He turned to a pile of ash before he could even scream. “Never trust a shade, Son.”

Nath convulsed. A river of life rushed through him. His blood coursed with a new spring of energy. “Thank you, Mother.”

She patted him on the shoulder. “Evil—don’t give it a chance. Now it’s time for your first order from Mother. Find those titans. Bring them back or destroy them.”

CHAPTER 37

Grahleyna flung her head back. “Ah! It’s so good to be in the sun’s light again. It warms me inside and out.” She spread her arms wide and spun slowly around. The bright light enhanced her incredible beauty and elegance. “Come, walk with me, Nath, and bring your friends along, while I still have the time.”

The Lost City of Borgash was still a barren place with strange and ugly vegetation. Nath carefully maneuvered through the thick vines. Brenwar’s eyes remained fixed on the ground, Mortuun swinging at his side. Selene managed to find her own place over a dozen paces ahead on a broken path that led east and out of the forgotten city.

Grahleyna whisked them out of the catacombs. It was a confusing and winding path, but Nath could make it back and out again if he had to. He was sure of it. Walking stride for stride with his mother, he kept his chin up and chest out. The joy of having her by his side was incredible, but a frown started to crease his lips.

“You care for her much, don’t you,” his mother said to him, eyeing Selene.

“I care for you much, and now you are leaving?”

“Well, I’m going to leave you with good advice, and that will be much better than the advice I left you with the last time.”

“Hah, well I suppose that is true.” He laughed. “I don’t want you to go, though. I want to stay with you. The titans can wait at least a decade, can’t they?”

“Oh, a decade with our sweet mother. How flattering is that? You certainly get that side of you from me and not your father. Of course, he does have a dashing side.”

“Father, dashing?”

She tousled his hair. “You are very handsome, like him, but more so.”

Nath flashed a smile, “No doubt it’s the part of you in me that shines.”

“Tell me more about you and Selene. I want to know everything.”

“Sh! Mother, she can hear everything.”

“That’s right,” Selene said, waving her arm up over her head. “And I can’t wait to hear what you have to say, Nath.”

“Perhaps our time could be better spent talking about how you met Father, Mother?”

Grahleyna chuckled. “I’m not going there, but I will tell you this: we were in mortal forms when we met.”

Nath’s brows lifted and he said, “Like me. Like us now?”

“The same.”

Nath’s eyes glided toward Selene. She was staring back at him with a playful glint in her eyes.

His mother continued, “Balzurth roamed Nalzambor the same as you did. A hero among mankind with countless triumphs. He was so cocky.” She sighed. “But I liked it. He picked the prettiest bouquets of flowers. And he could sing so soft the fairies would cry.”

“My father?”

“Oh, think back, Nath. I’m sure you’ve seen a softer side of him.”

There were plenty of lessons that Nath recalled, some harsh and others wise, but singing? He didn’t remember any of that.

Grahleyna started humming.

Words formed in Nath’s mind. He started singing.

“Ah praise the hills of daffodils, the kings, or run Tinny Lee. The dragons come, the fairies flee. Riding on the wings and scales came lightning from the clouds. Hondor the brave and ten thousand bannered warriors.

Run Tinny, run Tinny, run Tinny, run.

A thousand years, a thousand slumbers, comes the gentle crescent of night. Half for the light, half for the dark.

Run Tinny, run Tinny, run.

Home is there for the wayward son.”

Nath came to a stop. “He did sing that to me, didn’t he?”

“Yes, I’m sure of it. I never liked that song. It was sung by a drunken troubadour the day we met. The man’s voice was awful as an ogre’s, but your father made the song beautiful.”

“What does it mean? Who is Hondor?”

“No idea,” she said. “Just a silly song written by a sordid man who needed a button for his trousers. Not every song has to have a meaning. Sometimes it just needs to be fun to sing.” She lifted her chin toward the sky. A flock of dragons streaked through the clouds. “What in the name of Morgdon were those?”

Not hiding the concern from his voice, Nath replied, “Wurmers.”

Grahleyna’s golden eyes became as big as saucers. “Please tell me my eyes deceived me? Those blasted things are an abomination.” Fire sparked in her voice. “Oversized winged termites! Barnabus! They’ll be perfect hosts for the titans!”

Selene rushed down toward them and said, “Your majesty, it is my error. A failure of my past!”

“Then I’d say you and Nath are made for each other. You let one terror out of the sack and he let out another.” Grahleyna shook her head. “In the meantime, it looks like I’m going to have to deal with those wurmers myself. Stand back.”

Nath and Selene stepped way back.

Wings sprouted on Grahleyna’s back. Her body enlarged, and scales quickly covered her from head to toe. Within seconds, Nath gazed up at a most excellent gold dragon. “If I could only fly, I could go and destroy them with you.”

“Hah, hah, hah,” Grahleyna said, “if you could only fly. How silly you sound, Nath. I hope you figure that out soon, Dragon Prince.” She spread her beautiful black-and-gold wings out. “Now, I must go. And you two need to figure out how to clean up your mess.”

“But Mother, you can’t leave. We just met!”

Grahleyna bent down and kissed Nath on the head. “I promise to see you again much sooner than the last time.” Pushing off with her powerful legs, she launched herself into the air. Wings beating at a furious rhythm, she sliced through the air like a golden arrow and disappeared, pursuing the wurmers.

Shoulders slumped, Nath turned and faced his friends. “I can’t believe she’s gone already.”

“Get yer chin up,” Brenwar said, “I’m not of the impression that your mother would approve of you moping around.”

“Me either.” Holding her head, Selene said, “Gads, but now I feel even guiltier than before. We’re going to have to finish off those monsters before it’s too late.”

Eyeing the sky and rubbing the back of his neck, Nath said, “You know, just once it would be nice if my parents gave me a little more information.” He took a deep breath through his nose and pulled his shoulders back. “Well, I figured it out before, and together we’ll figure it out again. Let’s go.”

“As long as there’s a fight ahead, I’ll always be ready.” Brenwar swung Mortuun around with his wrist. “Where are we going?”

“It’s time to visit one of Nalzambor’s greatest historians.”

“Aw, great! We’re going to Morgdon,” Brenwar looked elated and started marching away.

“I’m pretty sure Nath’s not talking about Morgdon. I believe he’s referring to Quintuklen.”

Brenwar stopped and cocked an eyebrow. “Quintuklen? It’s a pile of rubble. And that will be a long, wasted march, too. Morgdon is far closer.” He eyed Nath and Selene up and down. “Not to mention the likelihood of danger. There isn’t even a weapon between you.”

“My wits are all that I need,” Selene said, standing with her arms crossed over her chest.

Nath held his clawed hands out before him. Having battled the wurmers before in the body of a full dragon, his clawed fingers seemed wholly inadequate. He tapped his noggin and walked off with a shrug, saying, “I guess my wits will have to do as well.”

But I’d feel much better if I still had Fang.

CHAPTER 38

It took over a week on foot to find the tall hill grasses that surrounded Quintuklen. Nath stood shirtless, waist deep in a pond, with a long stick whittled down to a spear.

“What’s the matter, can’t you catch them with your hands anymore?” Brenwar said. The salty old dwarf stood on the bank running a rugged comb through his beard.

“You can always swim in here and fetch dinner yourself, you know,” Nath said.

“You volunteered, not me. I said I could wait until we made it to Quintuklen anyway. It’s you that has the growling tummy, not me. Pah.” The dwarf picked up a smooth stone and skipped it over across the ponds and right by Nath’s head.

“Watch it, Brenwar! My head isn’t as hard as yours.”

“It’s gotten soft. I can attest to that.”

Spying movement in the murky green waters, Nath jabbed his spear quicker than a striking snake. He pulled a fish bigger than his head out of the pond. Its big tail flapped back and forth and caught Nath in the face.

“Oh ho ho!” Brenwar laughed, holding his gut. “That fish has more fight in it than you!”

Nath waded out of the waters. “You keep holding that big gut of yours, because this fish is going to feed me and Selene.”

“Gut!” Brenwar slapped the breastplate over his belly. “An iron gut, lad!”

“Lad!”

“Aye, lad! A big, scaly, flame-haired one. What are you going to do about it, strike me with that mighty fish?”

Nath swung the fish full into Brenwar’s face. Slap!

Brenwar’s eyes became big angry moons. “Never hit a dwarf with a fish!” He dropped his shoulder and charged.

Nath came off his feet and tumbled to the ground. “Blast it, Brenwar!”

Brenwar stuffed Nath’s face into the soft bank. “Quit yer bellyaching, Nath Dragon!” He locked Nath’s arm behind his back and pinned him half in the water and half in the sand.

“Have you gone mad? You’ll pay for this!” Nath struggled against his friend’s iron clutches. He didn’t have any idea what had happened to Brenwar. They’d been bickering for days. Brenwar didn’t have anything to be mad about, either; Nath did. He’d lost his power. Found his mother only to lose her again. Not to mention that he’d unintentionally turned a new menace loose on Nalzambor that he hadn’t meant to. With a heave, he flung Brenwar over his shoulder and slammed him into the cattails and reeds. “Get off of me!”

Brenwar sprang to his feet and launched his head hard into Nath’s chin.

His teeth clacked together and he saw stars exploding in his head. Staggering back, he felt his knees wobble, and he plopped on his butt into the water. While he sat shaking his head, his eyes became flame. “You’re going to regret this, Bolderguild!”

Brenwar spat in the water. “Pah! I don’t think you’ll do anything with those tears in your eyes. Here, let me get a handkerchief. Maybe Selene will wipe them away for you.”

Nath exploded into motion. His fists became striking hammers, fast and powerful.

Brenwar fought back, landing bone-jarring shots on Nath’s ribs and chin.

Not holding back, Nath busted Brenwar hard in his breastplate, creating a dent. Bang!

Brenwar let out a wail. “Yer gonna fix that!” He rammed his elbow into Nath’s groin.

Seeing red, Nath snatched Brenwar up high over his head and stuffed him head first into the waters. He held him down, ignoring Brenwar’s flailing boots.

Zap!

Nath’s hairs stood on end. His bones juttered from pure shock. His grip loosened on Brenwar.

Brenwar popped up out of the waters and dashed the water from his eyes with both hands. “What kind of trickery was that, Nath?”

“Have you two gone mad?” It was Selene. She stood on the bank. Her face was hot with confusion and rage. “Get ahold of yourself!”

Sitting in the water with his hands over his knees, Nath started laughing uncontrollably. He stopped abruptly and rubbed his jaw. “Oh!

Brenwar held out his forearm. “Feeling better?”

Rising to his feet, Nath said, “Thanks, Brenwar.” It had been a long time since the pair romped. They’d done it plenty when Nath was younger. Brenwar had taught him all about fighting, clean and dirty. Nath’s charging blood had him feeling better again. “I needed that.”

“You both are mad,” Selene said in astonishment. “But you are men, after all. What’s next, hugging?”

“No thank you,” Brenwar said, sloshing out of the water.

A dark shadow soared overhead and darted north toward Quintuklen.

“Shades!” Selene said. “You too buffoons distracted my intentions. I came to warn you: Quintuklen is under attack!”

CHAPTER 39

Hoofing it over the grassy knolls and hillsides, Nath sprinted as fast as he could, with Selene only a few strides behind him. Ahead, Quintuklen, at least what was left, was smoking. Dragons, flying above, were pelting it with fire.

“Those are wurmers!” Nath said, legs churning even faster.

Quintuklen had been all but destroyed in the last dragon war against the Clerics of Barnabus and Gorn Grattack. But now, from the distance, he could clearly see that it was being rebuilt. The stone walls that surrounded the town were almost entirely intact. Pulleys, bulwarks, and scaffolding had popped up all over the city. New stone buildings and wooden apartments. Fresh paint. The old roads were no longer mud and grass but filled with stone. And there were people. Throngs here and there, gathering stones and makeshift spears and hurling them at the dark-scaled dragons.

Fire came down on the valiant defenders.

Claws from the skies snatched people up and dropped them from high in the air.

“Nooooooooo!” Nath screamed.

He fought the helplessness that boiled inside him. If he could fly, he could rise into the air and battle the wurmers. Instead, he was stuck on the ground, racing over the expansive distance hoping he could get there in time and somehow help.

“Selene, have you any thoughts?”

“I was hoping you did!”

They made it to the first barrier wall that protected the city. It was more than ten feet tall. Rather than race down to the next gateway, Nath leapt clear over it. Five walls later, he was on the road that led straight into the city. A bright gleam of steel caught his eye. The midday sun shined off the breastplates of a squad of Legionnaires.

“What can I do to help?” Nath said, jogging up to the highest-ranking officer.

The commander had a long and wispy moustache that hung down past his chin. Stout and durable in his plate-mail armor, he looked Nath up and down and said, “Find some steel, and if one of those things lands, start swinging. Go for the wings. Their hides are as thick as, er,” he looked at Nath’s arms and said, “a dragon’s.”

“May I borrow a spear?” Nath said to the commander.

“Anything for you, Nath Dragon,” the commander said. “Lieutenant, give this warrior your spear!”

Nath pulled back his shoulders and took the spear the soldier offered him. They know me. They don’t fear me. A good thing! He scanned the faces of the Legionnaires. There was more duty than fear in their stern expressions. And there were less than twenty of them. All survivors who had returned to rebuild their city. Their determined looks filled Nath with greater courage. “Get those crossbows ready. We need to get their attention. Aim for the biggest one.”

Counting the dragons, he noticed most of them were only about fifteen feet long. Not too big, but still plenty deadly. If I can take the leader down, hopefully the rest will flee. “Selene, can you bring some light? We need a distraction.”

Selene’s hands flared with bright purple light. “Like this?”

“It’s pretty, but not exactly the attention getter I was looking for.”

“Oh,” she smirked, “you want something more like this.” Lavender shards erupted from her fingertips and made bee lines toward a dragon latched onto one of the tower walls.

It let out a roar and crashed to the ground.

The legionnaires let out a triumphant cheer.

“Show-off,” Nath said.

The dragon popped up off of its back. Snarling, it charged straight toward Nath and Selene. Nath lowered his spear and raced right into the face of the dragon. Finding a soft spot in its neck, he jammed the spear into its throat.

The dragon shrieked and thrashed. The spear shaft snapped in half. Its tail flicked out, catching Nath in the heel and pulling him off his feet. The fifteen-foot monster’s head recoiled, and its chest filled with fiery breath. Nath started to roll.

Boom!

The wurmer exploded into scales and pieces.

Getting back to his feet, he found Selene and said, “Did you do that?”

“No. It wasn’t me.” She pointed toward one of Quintuklen’s towers that was being rebuilt. “It was him.”

Nath twisted his head around. A tall, rangy warrior stood at the top of a rebuilt staircase. Long brown hair with gray streaks flowing through it billowed in the wind. He took the arrow out of his mouth and fired again. The sound of the bowstring’s snap was one of a kind. Twang!

The arrow caught a sky-cruising wurmer in the belly and turned it into dragon chunks with another thunderous Boom!

“Ben!” Nath screamed.

Holding the bow Akron high over his head, the old warrior saluted and cried out, “Dragon!”

Suddenly, a pack of three wurmers, wings beating, surrounded Ben. Their lungs filled with air, and fire gathered inside their jowls.

No, he’ll be incinerated!

Nath looked for something to grab. Something to throw. There was nothing. “Let loose something, Selene! Soldiers, unleash those crossbows!”

“They might hit Ben,” Selene warned.

Helpless and with bated breath, Nath watched Ben about to die. Without notice, the air crackled with new energy. From somewhere below, a streak of energy shot into the sky and struck the wurmers hovering over the tower. One beast turned to ash, and the other two let out startled cries. A fork of lightning rocked into both of them. They twitched, smoked, and plummeted hard into the earth. Thud! Thud!

With no more dragons in sight, the Legionnaires and city folk erupted into cheers. Coming down the street and heading straight toward Nath and Selene, two figures emerged. Ben, looking as tough and rugged as chewed leather, strolled, arms swinging, with a smaller person by his side. Bayzog was violet eyed, green robed, and looking calm and serious both at the same time.

With a broad smile on his scarred lips, Ben put Akron away. Clatch. Snap. Clatch. He gave Nath a hug. “Dragon, I never thought I’d see you like this again. Or at all again, for that matter. I can only imagine that something bad is going on.”

“Thanks to you, nothing bad is going on at all here, Ben. You sure took it to those wurmers and saved my scales again.”

“What did I miss? What did I miss?” It was Brenwar, rushing up to them, Mortuun ready, and huffing for breath. “Tell me I didn’t miss all of the fighting.”

“Of course you did,” Bayzog said to him. “If we had to wait for you, we’d miss out on dinnertime.”

“Watch it, part-elf.”

Elderwood staff in hand, Bayzog patted Brenwar on the head. “I didn’t miss you either, friend. Eh, nice hand. What happened, did you run out of hide jerky?” He gave a quick nod to Selene and then turned to Nath. “What have you done now?”

“Me?”

Selene interrupted the moment, pointing at the sky. “Look.”

A white dragon, no horns, small legs, and with a very long body and tail soared high above.

“Strange,” Nath said, “what would an ivory slider be doing here? They are messengers,” Nath said

“Fascinating,” Bayzog said. “It’s quite a treat seeing a breed I have not seen before. It looks to be carrying something in its paws.”

The ivory slider released something with a nice bright shine and disappeared in the backdrop of clouds in the sky.

“What was that?” Ben said. “Why did it drop it on the other side of the walls?”

“There’s only one way to find out,” Nath said. He took off at a trot.

“We don’t have to run everywhere, you know,” Brenwar said.

“Fine,” Nath said. “We don’t have to complain everywhere, either.”

“You know, Brenwar, I could make you some boots that will make you walk faster,” Bayzog offered.

“Why don’t you make yourself some boots that will take you back to your homeland, part-elf.”

“I love reunions,” Ben said to Selene. “How about you?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never had one before.”

Eyes feeling a little misty, Nath started to round the gate at the outermost wall. There was no feeling quite like being around the friends that had fought for you again and again.

No feeling like it at all.

He came to a stop and gawked at the object sticking up out of the field. A beautiful sword pommel with dragon crossguards winked at him with gemstone eyes. “Fang!”

“I’ll be,” Brenwar said. “We really must be in for it.”

Upon snatching the sword up, Nath began twirling it around in strokes that looked like lightning. New energy coursed through his veins. The handle was warm as an old friend’s handshake. He kissed the grand and shiny blade.

“Looks like the pair of you have been reunited just in time,” Bayzog said, eyeing the storm front coming from the south.

“Really, Bayzog, why do you say that?” Nath asked.

Everyone pointed where Bayzog was looking. Wurmers, wingless and big, were snaking through the tall grasses.

Nath raised Fang high, and with the fierce bellow of a dozen embattled warriors he yelled, “Dragon! Dragon!”

Epilogue

“How nice it is to see you again, Eckubahn. It’s been too long,” Lotuus said. The fairy empress hovered inside a portion of mountainside that looked to have recently been scooped out. Inside, three earth giants stood staring down on her with heavy eyes. The tallest, brawny and covered in coarse black-brown hair, petted the hairs on his forearms. He leered at her. “Does that body not please you, grand titan?”

Eckubahn scratched the scruff underneath his neck, wetted his thumb, and smoothed his eyebrows back. His voice was the sound of a rumbling volcano. “It will do, fairy.”

Lotuus buzzed up and hung in the air right before his eyes. They couldn’t have been more different. Her figure was grace and beauty that shimmered with seductive activity. His body was a raw-powered, stony-skinned abomination. She kissed him on the nose. “I’ve missed you, my lord. Have you missed me?”

“For centuries I’ve burned with vengeance. There was no time for pleasant memories.”

She stood on his shoulder and spoke into his ear. “You are free now. Does that make you happy?”

“No, but soon it will.” He formed a fist, cocked it back, and struck at the nearest earth giant with bone-shattering impact.

Boom!

The earth giant crumpled to the ground and lay dead. The other earth giant backed up a step, took a knee, and bowed.

Petting the giant’s ear, Lotuus said with a thrill in her voice, “So powerful. So masterful. Oh, how I have missed you, Eckubahn. I must say, I was beginning to lose hope, but then Nath Dragon came along and I was freed. Hence, you were freed. I didn’t hesitate to dupe him.”

The titan’s throat rumbled. “Make no mistake, you didn’t dupe anyone. This was meant to be. Certain dragons want us gone.” He punched his fist into his hand with a resounding smack. “I want them gone. And I pledge it will be done.”

Lotuus clapped her hands. “Oh, how I can’t wait to see you upend those arrogant lizards. I’d like to pluck the scales off of them one by one.”

Eckubahn put his oversized finger under her chin. “I promise that you’ll see it done.” Feet shaking the ground, he headed out of the monstrous alcove. “This body hungers. Lead me to the nearest city so I can feast.” He spread his arms out wide, tilted his chin up toward the sky, and yelled, “Then I will have my VENGEANCE!”

***

Nath Dragons adventures continue in book 2, Claws of the Dragon, November 2015 …

From the author

Due to popular demand, Nath Dragon is back! I have to say, the comments, notes, and reviews really had an impact on my pursuing this next series, so give yourself a pat on the back. Even though I intended for Nath Dragon to be a one-shot series, I realized that Nath, Brenwar, and company have too many adventures together left in them. Also, growing up as a reader, I never liked seeing a series end. That killed off any more tales about my favorite characters! So I decided to keep Nath Dragon rolling. I think he’s a great and memorable character, so hopefully this new series will live up to the last and meet all of your expectations. As always, I’m grateful that you have been reading my books. Drop me a line anytime and keep an eye out for merchandise, book deals and giveaways.

Do good always,

Craig Halloran

craig@thedarkslayer.com

Facebook: The Darkslayer Report

Twitter: Craig Halloran

About the Author

Craig Halloran resides with his family outside his hometown of Charleston, West Virginia. When he isn’t entertaining mankind, he is seeking adventure, working out, or watching sports. To learn more about him, go to: www.thedarkslayer.com.

The Darkslayer Series 1

Wrath of the Royals (Book 1)

Blades in the Night (Book 2)

Underling Revenge (Book 3)

Danger and the Druid (Book 4)

Outrage in the Outlands (Book 5)

Chaos at the Castle (Book 6)

The Darkslayer Series 2

Bish and Bone (Book 1)

Black Blood (Book 2)

Red Death (Book 3)

Lethal Liaisons (Book 4)

Torment and Terror (Book 5)

The Chronicles of Dragon Series

The Hero, the Sword and the Dragons (Book 1)

Dragon Bones and Tombstones (Book 2)

Terror at the Temple (Book 3)

Clutch of the Cleric (Book 4)

Hunt for the Hero (Book 5)

Siege at the Settlements (Book 6)

Strife in the Sky (Book 7)

Fight and the Fury (Book 8)

War in the Winds (Book 9)

Finale (Book 10)

Zombie Impact Series

Zombie Day Care: Book 1

Zombie Rehab: Book 2

Zombie Warfare: Book 3

The Supernatural Bounty Hunter Files

Smoke Rising (2015)

I Smell Smoke (2015)

Where There’s Smoke (2015)

Smoke on the Water (2015)

Smoke and Mirrors (2015)

You can learn more about the Darkslayer and my other books at:

Facebook – The Darkslayer Report by Craig

Twitter – Craig Halloran

Table of Contents

- CHAPTER 1
- CHAPTER 2
- CHAPTER 3
- CHAPTER 4
- CHAPTER 5
- CHAPTER 6
- CHAPTER 7
- CHAPTER 8
- CHAPTER 9
- CHAPTER 10
- CHAPTER 11
- CHAPTER 12
- CHAPTER 13
- CHAPTER 14
- CHAPTER 15
- CHAPTER 16
- CHAPTER 17
- CHAPTER 18
- CHAPTER 19
- CHAPTER 20
- CHAPTER 21
- CHAPTER 22
- CHAPTER 24
- CHAPTER 25
- CHAPTER 26
- CHAPTER 27
- CHAPTER 28
- CHAPTER 29
- CHAPTER 30
- CHAPTER 31
- CHAPTER 32
- CHAPTER 33
- CHAPTER 34
- CHAPTER 35
- CHAPTER 36
- CHAPTER 37
- CHAPTER 38
- CHAPTER 39