Chapter 21
Vorik hadn’t been as successful at rounding up allies as he’d hoped, and he and Agrevlari were flying toward the Kingdom islands by themselves.
Oh, Chieftess Marvola and the others who’d remained in camp hadn’t opposed his desire to help, but their dragons, in particular, had been unwilling to engage in a fight with their ally dragons and the storm god.
Not on behalf of the Kingdom. Marvola had given Vorik a pat on the shoulder before he’d left, saying they would be open to negotiations if the Kingdom survived the week, and had wished him luck.
“We’re going to need a lot more than luck, I’m afraid,” Vorik muttered while trying not to feel the situation was hopeless. And that Syla was in the middle of it.
Will you fight your brother again when we catch up to the others? Agrevlari asked.
Vorik sighed. I may not have a choice.
I believe his spirit is commingled with that of the storm god.
Yeah, I got that feeling too. Do you think he voluntarily did that?
If he was near death when the god reached out to him, he may not have had a choice.
Do you think there’s a chance that he would return to his normal self if we could drive the storm god out of this world?
One does not drive out a god, Agrevlari said. Even dragons do not have the power to do so. Humans certainly do not.
Syla will try to find a way. She’s determined.
I hope her determination will not result in Wreylith being killed while she is with eggs. That would be dreadful.
I agree, but if the storm god unleashes his fury on the world, I expect there’ll be a lot of death.
Likely so. Agrevlari didn’t point out that the deaths would more likely be human than dragon since his kind were the storm god’s creations.
Vorik was glad his ally was willing to take him to the battle and fight with him. As one of those creations himself, Agrevlari could have chosen to stay on Froha—or even to have answered the call that so many others had, to join forces and help the storm god.
I would not have gone with them, Agrevlari said.
Because the storm god is mad and evil and not worth helping?
Because Ozlemar is leading the group, and he is peeved with me.
Vorik snorted. So that’s the main reason you’re not going to jump in.
I also would not desire to battle Wreylith, who will doubtless fight with your queen. She would most certainly not allow me to name the male hatchlings if I came at her as an enemy again.
Are you sure? Wasn’t it after you attacked her and drew blood at Bogberry Island that she started talking to you again?
Hm.
Maybe Vorik shouldn’t have pointed that out.
The long silence that followed that hm was a little disquieting, and he peered toward the horizon.
The Kingdom islands weren’t yet in view, but did he see gray clouds in that direction?
If they were the ones that had blanketed the Harvest Island volcano when he’d left, they had spread.
Two dragons have come within range of my senses. Maybe Agrevlari’s silence had been because he’d been trying to determine who else was out over the sea with them. They are flying to the east of us and heading in the same direction.
Have we caught up with a couple of stragglers from Ozlemar’s allies?
I do not believe so. Their route suggests they came from the north rather than the northwest, as we did. Is that not… the young dragon from the Freedom Faction? Igliana?
Vorik peered to the east but couldn’t yet see anyone else.
The other with her I also recognize, Agrevlari said. The green dragon, Venvarlorin, who is bonded with Chieftess Atilya.
Oh? Vorik straightened with hope. Veer in that direction, will you? I doubt those two are going to join in against the Kingdom. Maybe they’re flying down to help Syla.
It is unlikely that two dragons will make a difference against what we face.
Maybe they have friends coming. Vorik knew Agrevlari would have sensed other dragons if they were in the area and mentioned it, but he allowed himself to feel hopeful anyway. Even two allies would be better than none.
When the green and orange dragons came into view, only Venvarlorin had a rider. Chieftess Atilya lifted a hand toward Vorik, but it was Igliana who reached out telepathically to speak to him.
The Garden Kingdom is in danger!
Yes, Agrevlari and I are flying to help with the problem.
The storm god has been called to this world. That is more than a problem! Some dragons are pleased about it, but it sounds scary to me. He was—and probably still is—mad!
Yes.
To Vorik, Igliana always sounded young, and he seemed to remember Wreylith mentioning that she was indeed that and still obeyed her parents, but he appreciated her sentiment.
Maybe the young dragons who’d been born long after the storm god existed in the world were more likely to see him as the threat that he was.
For all Vorik knew, Ozlemar might be old enough that he had been present in the world when the gods still walked it.
Maybe he’d even been hatched in a laboratory instead of from a lain egg.
“That could explain much,” Vorik muttered to himself.
I believe the lady Teyla is on Castle Island with Queen Syla, Igliana said. If the Kingdom is going to be destroyed, I am going to offer her a ride to safety.
Only Teyla? Vorik managed a smile, remembering that Syla’s cousin had flown on the orange dragon during their quest for the shielder components.
The gruff bodyguard could come too, but he isn’t the one who regaled me with tales of early dragon and human history.
I don’t think he’s ever regaled anyone with anything except his mace.
“We’re flying to Castle Island to deliver a warning,” Chieftess Atilya called as Agrevlari flew close enough to the green and orange dragons for her and Vorik to speak.
“She already knows about the threat,” he said. “Agrevlari and I are going to help her against… Well, many of the stormer-allied dragons have decided to fight for the storm god.”
“That’s disheartening but not unexpected. I think that’s why nobody was willing to come with me.”
Not nobody, Igliana said with indignation.
Atilya managed a fleeting smile. “Almost nobody.” She patted her own dragon and waved toward the orange.
“When our spy first observed Ozlemar and his allies performing the Ritual of Calling, I sent most of our people to the Arctic Archipelagos to stay away from the chaos that the coming of a god could bring. Venvarlorin is only taking me to visit and deliver our warning. He refuses to fight the storm god.”
I will fight him, Igliana said. I will bite him on the tail!
“Gods don’t have tails,” Atilya said.
Noses?
“They’re kind of amorphous, I believe.” Atilya’s gaze shifted to the south, to the dark gray-green clouds roiling on the horizon. “We may have an opportunity to find out soon.”
“Lucky for us,” Vorik said.
I sense dragons arriving in the area, Wreylith said as she flew Syla and Oyenar toward the castle. Many dragons.
Stormer-allied dragons? Syla’s first reaction was alarm, but barriers once again protected all the islands. The Kingdom should be safe from invading dragons. If only she were confident about that.
Yes. Their flight path takes them toward the Island of Eliok.
Are they the same dragons that did whatever it was they did to stir up that magic?
I believe many are the same, Wreylith said. When I told them the islands are again all shielded and asked what they sought to achieve, they warned me to leave the area if I wanted to live. Or join them as our creator would wish.
Your creator? The storm god?
I was hatched from an egg by my mother, but some do credit him with life.
How are we going to fight all that, Wreylith?
I am uncertain. Perhaps we should both leave the area.
You know I can’t do that. Though… if you’re pregnant, maybe you should. I wouldn’t blame you. You don’t want to risk losing your eggs.
Wreylith didn’t answer right away. Maybe the thought had already occurred to her.
I will stay, she ultimately said and descended toward the castle.
“Your Majesty!” a guard blurted as soon as Wreylith landed in the courtyard, the dragon looking around with her glowing eyes, probably determining if anyone present would be a threat. Since Teyla, Tibby, and Fel should have already arrived, Syla hoped not. She should have been expected.
“Yes?” she asked after sliding off Wreylith’s back.
Oyenar landed with a grunt behind her and straightened his uniform.
The guard blinked at him, then saluted before turning back to Syla. “There’s been an incident, Your Majesty.”
“Another one?” Syla felt some of Dolok’s bleakness.
“Sergeant Fel said to get you when you arrived.”
She’d only taken a few steps across the courtyard when Fel appeared in the doorway of the barracks. Face grim, he lifted his arm toward her, then led the way inside.
“What incident has there been now?” she asked.
“Another murder. It just happened.”
“Before you arrived?”
“After.”
“Who was killed?” Syla didn’t think it had been Tibby or Teyla, or Fel would have been more distraught, but she didn’t look forward to encountering another body.
He led her through a hallway to an office, the door already open.
Captain Vonla and two of the Royal Protectors who’d come with them from the ship waited outside.
A uniformed man lay on the floor inside, one with short gray hair.
Syla stopped by a desk that had been knocked askew, a chair tipped over, and stared down at Colonel Mosworth’s body.
As with the others, his throat had been slit.
“Who is doing this?” she whispered.
“It has to be someone who’s traveling with us,” Fel said quietly, keeping his voice low so that those in the hallway wouldn’t hear.