Blood and Royalty by M. R. Mathias

was as glad as Aikira that her brother and Pascal were both in hiding now, with Linux and the ogres. All of them were pleased that the igniting of the sword’s magic had drawn several High Dracus to the castle, who were willing to defend the land against King Richard’s mudged.
    “So, the sword is ancient, and Zahrellion’s great, great grandfather was King Phen III, part elven and a descendent of Pavreal himself.” This was from Rikky, who was the only one paying attention to what Amelia had learned from the high dracus.
    “Even though King Phen III was a terrible man, the first king named Phen was a great king. His child was half-elven, and his hair as white as snow, just like my mother’s,” Amelia went on.
    “Once we’ve gathered ourselves, we will have to make a better plan,” Clover said as she joined them. “We need Jenka to dismiss his insanity and come join the battle.”
    My father will be here when he can, Clover. Amelia gave the older woman a sharp, knowing look but didn’t respond out loud.
    “Rest and heal, for in just a few hours, we will have to go fight again,” Rikky said.
    Amelia was suddenly being drawn into hyper-mode by her father’s calling. No one around her was able to see her crying after he ended the conversation, because she gathered her wits before she let herself back into real time. Then she told them all what her father had just told her, that the real enemy wasn’t Richard at all, but the giant Sarsaraxus that was now riding the Nightshade, bringing with it the end of humanity on the Mainland.

Chapter Twenty-Two
     
     
    Marcherion and Blaze, so sore from their half-healed injuries that they could barely stand the pain, appeared over Gull’s Reach. The men on the tower nearest them suddenly cheered. The other men on the walls followed when they saw.
    It isn’t here, Marcherion voiced to the other Dragoneers.
    He gave the men a wave of encouragement, surprised that so many had stayed, even after they’d been told to flee to Freeman’s Reach.
    The idea that this whole population and all the folks on the Mainland were the descendants of the survivors of a shipwreck was pretty incredible. What had him worried as he cast the teleportation spell that would take him to Serpent’s Isle, was the sword.
    The dragon tear mounted on the medallion he wore was tied to the legendary blade’s destiny. He knew this because both items were with the one man’s skeleton he and Brendly Tuck had found in that cave so long ago.
    He’d cut his palms and his scalp wide open while killing a wyvern with Errion Spightre . As incredible as that was, he knew its magic wasn’t meant for him. Only Zahrellion, Amelia and Jericho shared the blood line. Since Zahrellion hadn’t known her parents, there could be others out there, but it would be Jericho’s blade. Jericho would be a great king. March had been able to tell from the young man’s gait; the way he made his decisions, the way he minded his tongue, and spoke commandingly. Then he realized something else about that sword, his medallion, and dragon tears in general, but it would have to wait, for even as he heard Rikky calling to him through the ethereal, he saw the Sarsaraxus standing there glaring at him from where it stood on the beach. Its toes were in the surf and crackling bright blue, but it wasn’t in pain or dying from the seawater’s touch.
    March remembered seeing the Sarax as they hit the sea and crackled over with the same sort of blue energy he was seeing now, but it killed them. To confirm this assessment even further, the thing stepped knee-deep as it conjured some alien spell and threw its arms toward him.
    I’ve found Jenka. Rikky’s voice was panicked. March, Zah, Aikira, I need you now! The beast is on Serpent’s Isle, like Jenka guessed, but Jade’s underbelly is opened, and Jenka’s legs are shredded.
    Part of March wanted to go help Rikky, for he saw them now, in the distance. Silva was floating beside a barely