caring of any past relationship. Ssgayn and Faras knew her from old, had even been raised alongside her back at the Manor.
Ssgayn opened his eyes again, a strange look in them. Before Valea could judge what that look meant, a figure materialized between the dragons.
“Valea!” In contrast to the guardians, the newcomer literally welcomed her with open arms.
The other female was young, but otherwise there was little similarity between Valea and her. The enchantress was not short, but still the raven-tressed figure before her stood taller and was voluptuous in the best definition of the word. She had the appearance of an elf in regard to her features. Valea had once been very jealous of that perfect face, even if it was as much the creation of magic as nature. However, knowing this golden-clad woman as she did, Valea only felt a rush of pleasureand relief. She returned the hug with as much vigor as her new companion.
“Ursa!” With all that was going on, it had not dawned on her that she would see her most beloved friend, though that should have been obvious since Ursa was also Kyl’s sister.
Not to mention also sibling to the two dragons still looming over them.
Ursa turned to face the guardians. “I will take her to see him.”
Both dragons’ expressions changed to what could only be relief. Simultaneously, they began to shrink. Their tails dissolved and their wings withered away. They rose up on their hind legs, which straightened. The forelegs shrank more, becoming arms ending in hands.
As Valea eyed Ssgayn, his shriveling visage slid upward. In its wake it left the familiar, half-hidden face beneath the helm of a humanoid drake warrior. The dragon head became the crest, albeit not nearly so elegant a one as a Dragon King would wear.
Faras and Ssgayn bowed low to Valea, then stepped apart to let the two females pass. The warriors now wielded long swords, creations of their magic. Those swords would cease to exist when they transformed back to their original shapes. Whether as a dragon or a warrior, a drake was ever armed.
“We do our duty,” Faras said insistently as Ursa led Valea beyond them.
“The emperor will know that,” the drake female promised with a touch of reassurance.
As soon as they were out of hearing of the pair, Valea murmured, “Surely, they’ve redeemed themselves for their past error. In the end, they chose to remain loyal to Kyl and not Toma . . .”
“He has forgiven them. They may not ever do so themselves.”
Valea said nothing more on the subject, for they began passing other sentinels guarding the caverns of the Dragon Emperor. Many of these already stood in the form of warriors, who pretended not to notice thescarlet-tressed figure walking beside Ursa. They were all aware of the Bedlams and some of them had even been raised at the Manor themselves.
The enchantress noted among them those that bore no trace of gold in their scaly armor, but rather more a forest green. The imperial clan had been decimated during the previous emperor’s obsessive hunt of a young Cabe Bedlam and had not yet recovered sufficiently. While most of the remaining Dragon Kings had supplied warriors to their new emperor, the majority had come from the Dagora Forest and Lord Green. Valea’s father felt that Green had too much influence on Kyl but had done nothing. The relationship between the wizard and that Dragon King was a troubled one made even more so by their children.
All thought of her brother’s part in that vanished as Valea entered the grand chamber. Much of the cavern greatly predated the Dragon Kings and had been utilized by earlier rulers of the land. One of those had left gigantic stone figures of various beings, some recognizable, some not. Valea could sense the deep magic within each, magic she felt had some specific purpose. Yet, even the eventual collapse of some of those statues due to tremors and time had revealed nothing.
The drakes had remained as ignorant as any of
Ssgayn opened his eyes again, a strange look in them. Before Valea could judge what that look meant, a figure materialized between the dragons.
“Valea!” In contrast to the guardians, the newcomer literally welcomed her with open arms.
The other female was young, but otherwise there was little similarity between Valea and her. The enchantress was not short, but still the raven-tressed figure before her stood taller and was voluptuous in the best definition of the word. She had the appearance of an elf in regard to her features. Valea had once been very jealous of that perfect face, even if it was as much the creation of magic as nature. However, knowing this golden-clad woman as she did, Valea only felt a rush of pleasureand relief. She returned the hug with as much vigor as her new companion.
“Ursa!” With all that was going on, it had not dawned on her that she would see her most beloved friend, though that should have been obvious since Ursa was also Kyl’s sister.
Not to mention also sibling to the two dragons still looming over them.
Ursa turned to face the guardians. “I will take her to see him.”
Both dragons’ expressions changed to what could only be relief. Simultaneously, they began to shrink. Their tails dissolved and their wings withered away. They rose up on their hind legs, which straightened. The forelegs shrank more, becoming arms ending in hands.
As Valea eyed Ssgayn, his shriveling visage slid upward. In its wake it left the familiar, half-hidden face beneath the helm of a humanoid drake warrior. The dragon head became the crest, albeit not nearly so elegant a one as a Dragon King would wear.
Faras and Ssgayn bowed low to Valea, then stepped apart to let the two females pass. The warriors now wielded long swords, creations of their magic. Those swords would cease to exist when they transformed back to their original shapes. Whether as a dragon or a warrior, a drake was ever armed.
“We do our duty,” Faras said insistently as Ursa led Valea beyond them.
“The emperor will know that,” the drake female promised with a touch of reassurance.
As soon as they were out of hearing of the pair, Valea murmured, “Surely, they’ve redeemed themselves for their past error. In the end, they chose to remain loyal to Kyl and not Toma . . .”
“He has forgiven them. They may not ever do so themselves.”
Valea said nothing more on the subject, for they began passing other sentinels guarding the caverns of the Dragon Emperor. Many of these already stood in the form of warriors, who pretended not to notice thescarlet-tressed figure walking beside Ursa. They were all aware of the Bedlams and some of them had even been raised at the Manor themselves.
The enchantress noted among them those that bore no trace of gold in their scaly armor, but rather more a forest green. The imperial clan had been decimated during the previous emperor’s obsessive hunt of a young Cabe Bedlam and had not yet recovered sufficiently. While most of the remaining Dragon Kings had supplied warriors to their new emperor, the majority had come from the Dagora Forest and Lord Green. Valea’s father felt that Green had too much influence on Kyl but had done nothing. The relationship between the wizard and that Dragon King was a troubled one made even more so by their children.
All thought of her brother’s part in that vanished as Valea entered the grand chamber. Much of the cavern greatly predated the Dragon Kings and had been utilized by earlier rulers of the land. One of those had left gigantic stone figures of various beings, some recognizable, some not. Valea could sense the deep magic within each, magic she felt had some specific purpose. Yet, even the eventual collapse of some of those statues due to tremors and time had revealed nothing.
The drakes had remained as ignorant as any of
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