good question, but the shattering provided much more,” Sir Alcott said. “Once destroyed, the orbs' stored power created magical barriers around both Meranthia and Ayralen. It’s protected our borders for two-thousand years.”
“Protected us from what?” Ronan said, but he knew the answer.
Sir Alcott’s stared through grim eyes. “I think we’ve seen firsthand.”
“The dragons too?” Ronan said. “Do you think the barrier has kept the dragons out of Meranthia?”
Sir Alcott shrugged. “I don’t know how far the barrier extended, but Porthleven is near the coast. Maybe they lived outside its protection, but that’s conjecture. The book made no mention on that point.”
“How could we freely travel to Porthleven all these years?” Ronan said. “Wouldn’t this barrier stop us too?”
Sir Alcott shook his head. “We can only guess. Maybe the barrier extends over the Araxis Sea, and we’ve lived with these dragons under its protection. It might help explain why we’ve lost so many seafaring vessels over the centuries.”
Ronan’s stomach sank. “By restoring the orbs, I’ve doomed us all?”
“If you’d allowed Merric Pride to destroy Lora’s Heart, magic would’ve died and the barrier with it. At least now, we can fight back.”
“If we can fight back, why didn’t Elan and Lora?” Ronan said.
Ronan’s question hung thick and silent before Rika finally spoke.
“There’s no sense lingering on that question. We have work to do,” Rika said.
Ronan stood. “You’re right. Let’s go find Tara.”
The Shaman
Two-hundred yards ahead, bleached white bone shimmered inside heat waves baking the desert floor.
“We’ve made it,” Fizzle said. “Misho is up ahead.”
Danielle blocked the sun with her hand and scanned the horizon. Other than the remains of some desert creature, she saw miles of hard packed desert sand and glittering crystal rock. “Fizzle, I don’t see anything.”
“Are you blind? You’re staring straight at it.”
Danielle shook her head and remained silent as they crossed the final stretch of desert toward the village.
From fifty-yards away, the bone pile revealed itself as an enormous bleached white skull.
Danielle gasped and stood frozen, staring in awe at the enormous ten-foot tall skull.
Fizzle glanced over his shoulder and furrowed his brow. “Aren’t you coming?”
“What is that?” Danielle pointed to the half-buried skeleton stretched out on the desert floor ahead.
“What are you talking about?”
Danielle pointed to the long white skull with giant, menacing eye sockets. The skull’s mouth hung open, revealing row after row of razor sharp serrated teeth. Packed sand covered the dead beast’s lower jaw sloping downward into murky shadows.
Fizzle cocked his head as if confused. “That’s Misho.”
“I thought you said Misho was a village.”
“She is now,” Fizzle said. “Misho was a dragon. She died during the second Alaran war.”
“A dragon? You’ve got to be joking.” Danielle stared slack-jawed unable to believe her ears. “Dragons aren’t real.”
Fizzle scratched his head. “How I wish that were true.” He gestured toward the dragon carcass. “But there it is. Come on. Misho’s guards will get suspicious if we hang out here too long.”
A numb dread spread over Danielle’s body as the dragon’s skull loomed ahead. Had dragons caused the strange lights over the desert? But, why now? She wanted nothing more than to feel naked heartwood beneath her bare feet and to talk this whole mess out with her father.
From the skull’s shadowy entrance, two men appeared. Each guard wore crude leather armor and carried a sharp, gleaming crystal blade. The first guard held a pale-blue crystal long sword overhead and sunlight sparkled from its surface.
“Halt,” the guard said.
Fizzle led Danielle and Karli to the guard and stopped. “There’s no need to be so formal Urtzi. It’s just me and Karli.”
Urtzi glared
“Protected us from what?” Ronan said, but he knew the answer.
Sir Alcott’s stared through grim eyes. “I think we’ve seen firsthand.”
“The dragons too?” Ronan said. “Do you think the barrier has kept the dragons out of Meranthia?”
Sir Alcott shrugged. “I don’t know how far the barrier extended, but Porthleven is near the coast. Maybe they lived outside its protection, but that’s conjecture. The book made no mention on that point.”
“How could we freely travel to Porthleven all these years?” Ronan said. “Wouldn’t this barrier stop us too?”
Sir Alcott shook his head. “We can only guess. Maybe the barrier extends over the Araxis Sea, and we’ve lived with these dragons under its protection. It might help explain why we’ve lost so many seafaring vessels over the centuries.”
Ronan’s stomach sank. “By restoring the orbs, I’ve doomed us all?”
“If you’d allowed Merric Pride to destroy Lora’s Heart, magic would’ve died and the barrier with it. At least now, we can fight back.”
“If we can fight back, why didn’t Elan and Lora?” Ronan said.
Ronan’s question hung thick and silent before Rika finally spoke.
“There’s no sense lingering on that question. We have work to do,” Rika said.
Ronan stood. “You’re right. Let’s go find Tara.”
The Shaman
Two-hundred yards ahead, bleached white bone shimmered inside heat waves baking the desert floor.
“We’ve made it,” Fizzle said. “Misho is up ahead.”
Danielle blocked the sun with her hand and scanned the horizon. Other than the remains of some desert creature, she saw miles of hard packed desert sand and glittering crystal rock. “Fizzle, I don’t see anything.”
“Are you blind? You’re staring straight at it.”
Danielle shook her head and remained silent as they crossed the final stretch of desert toward the village.
From fifty-yards away, the bone pile revealed itself as an enormous bleached white skull.
Danielle gasped and stood frozen, staring in awe at the enormous ten-foot tall skull.
Fizzle glanced over his shoulder and furrowed his brow. “Aren’t you coming?”
“What is that?” Danielle pointed to the half-buried skeleton stretched out on the desert floor ahead.
“What are you talking about?”
Danielle pointed to the long white skull with giant, menacing eye sockets. The skull’s mouth hung open, revealing row after row of razor sharp serrated teeth. Packed sand covered the dead beast’s lower jaw sloping downward into murky shadows.
Fizzle cocked his head as if confused. “That’s Misho.”
“I thought you said Misho was a village.”
“She is now,” Fizzle said. “Misho was a dragon. She died during the second Alaran war.”
“A dragon? You’ve got to be joking.” Danielle stared slack-jawed unable to believe her ears. “Dragons aren’t real.”
Fizzle scratched his head. “How I wish that were true.” He gestured toward the dragon carcass. “But there it is. Come on. Misho’s guards will get suspicious if we hang out here too long.”
A numb dread spread over Danielle’s body as the dragon’s skull loomed ahead. Had dragons caused the strange lights over the desert? But, why now? She wanted nothing more than to feel naked heartwood beneath her bare feet and to talk this whole mess out with her father.
From the skull’s shadowy entrance, two men appeared. Each guard wore crude leather armor and carried a sharp, gleaming crystal blade. The first guard held a pale-blue crystal long sword overhead and sunlight sparkled from its surface.
“Halt,” the guard said.
Fizzle led Danielle and Karli to the guard and stopped. “There’s no need to be so formal Urtzi. It’s just me and Karli.”
Urtzi glared
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