tossed her the blade, hilt first. She caught it. "Fight
me, Princess of Dragons." He brandished his blade, spinning the
khopesh with skill more elaborate than the greatest juggler. "Slay
me and this host will be yours to comma—"
Issari shifted into a dragon, blew her fire, and roasted the man.
Gateris fell, burning and screaming. A white dragon, Issari stomped
upon him, driving her claws through his armor and into his flesh. He
lay still.
She released her magic, stood above the burning corpse, and stared at
the soldiers around her. A few had drawn their blades, but they froze
under her glare. She spun around slowly, staring at them man by man.
Her amulet buzzed on her palm, its light blazing.
"Soldiers of Eteer!" She raised her chin. "Follow me
to the palace. Follow me to dethrone the Demon Queen. We will reclaim
Eteer!"
For a moment, the men were silent. Issari wondered if they too would
attack her. She could not defeat so many, not even as a dragon;
dozens stood in this hall, and hundreds more filled the citadel. She
took deep breaths, refusing to lower her gaze.
Finally one soldier, a young man with green eyes, raised his spear
high. "For Issari!" he cried. "For a new queen!"
The floodgates broke. Dozens of spears rose, and dozens of voices
shouted out, echoing in the hall. "For Issari! For a new queen!"
She took a shaky breath and her eyes stung. She spoke softly. "For
Eteer."
At her side, Tanin blew out his breath. "Bloody stars, I was
almost worried there for a moment."
Issari turned and marched out of the hall, stepping into the
sunlight. Behind her, the soldiers streamed out in a sea of bronze.
From buildings across this hilltop citadel, more soldiers emerged
into the sunlight, and their voices rang. "For Issari! For a new
queen!"
RAEM
After
scouring the barbarous hinterlands for days, Raem finally saw the
Weredragon Column rising ahead from the forest. Flying upon Anai, his
deformed bat of the underworld, Raem spat sideways and snickered.
"So here is their kingdom!" he cried for his thousand
demons to hear. "Here is the fabled Requiem, the land of
dragons—a single bone rising from the wilderness."
He laughed and his demons laughed with him. Their chortles filled the
sky. Raem twisted in his saddle, looked over his shoulder, and
admired them. They were beautiful. They were the most beautiful
things in the world. Great balls of fat dripped ooze, their tongues
thrusting out between folds of skin. Cadaverous creatures beat insect
wings, leering, their teeth longer than human arms. Twisted clusters
of limbs and torsos rolled in the sky, stitched together, flapping
wings of skin stretched over bones. Naked moles the size of dragons.
Naked men with beards of snakes and wings of bats. Creatures of fire,
of stone, of rot. All flew here, seeking the meals they craved, the
meat of dragons.
"Where are you, my children?" Raem whispered. "Where
are you, Jeid the so-called King of Dragons?"
They flew closer. Soon Raem could see details on the column; it rose
taller than the tallest tree, even taller than his palace back in
Eteer. Its capital was shaped as rearing dragons. No other structures
seemed to stand here, just a single pillar. He tugged the reins and
his mount descended, the wind shrieking around them. A circle of
marble tiles lay around the pillar, and Raem landed upon them, his
demon's claws clattering against the stone. The rest of his demons
circled above, screeching and sniffing. Raem could see none of the
weredragons he sought. His demon's nose twitched.
"Do you smell them, Anai?" He stroked her wispy hair.
"Where are they?
He dismounted. A few of his demons landed too, and they scuttled
around on clawed feet, slithered and left trails of slime, and
clattered on centipede legs. Most of the creatures still flew above,
sniffing, snorting, seeking their enemy. Raem frowned, gazing at the
place.
"This is no kingdom," he said softly. "This is nothing
but a dream I will crush."
All of Requiem,
me, Princess of Dragons." He brandished his blade, spinning the
khopesh with skill more elaborate than the greatest juggler. "Slay
me and this host will be yours to comma—"
Issari shifted into a dragon, blew her fire, and roasted the man.
Gateris fell, burning and screaming. A white dragon, Issari stomped
upon him, driving her claws through his armor and into his flesh. He
lay still.
She released her magic, stood above the burning corpse, and stared at
the soldiers around her. A few had drawn their blades, but they froze
under her glare. She spun around slowly, staring at them man by man.
Her amulet buzzed on her palm, its light blazing.
"Soldiers of Eteer!" She raised her chin. "Follow me
to the palace. Follow me to dethrone the Demon Queen. We will reclaim
Eteer!"
For a moment, the men were silent. Issari wondered if they too would
attack her. She could not defeat so many, not even as a dragon;
dozens stood in this hall, and hundreds more filled the citadel. She
took deep breaths, refusing to lower her gaze.
Finally one soldier, a young man with green eyes, raised his spear
high. "For Issari!" he cried. "For a new queen!"
The floodgates broke. Dozens of spears rose, and dozens of voices
shouted out, echoing in the hall. "For Issari! For a new queen!"
She took a shaky breath and her eyes stung. She spoke softly. "For
Eteer."
At her side, Tanin blew out his breath. "Bloody stars, I was
almost worried there for a moment."
Issari turned and marched out of the hall, stepping into the
sunlight. Behind her, the soldiers streamed out in a sea of bronze.
From buildings across this hilltop citadel, more soldiers emerged
into the sunlight, and their voices rang. "For Issari! For a new
queen!"
RAEM
After
scouring the barbarous hinterlands for days, Raem finally saw the
Weredragon Column rising ahead from the forest. Flying upon Anai, his
deformed bat of the underworld, Raem spat sideways and snickered.
"So here is their kingdom!" he cried for his thousand
demons to hear. "Here is the fabled Requiem, the land of
dragons—a single bone rising from the wilderness."
He laughed and his demons laughed with him. Their chortles filled the
sky. Raem twisted in his saddle, looked over his shoulder, and
admired them. They were beautiful. They were the most beautiful
things in the world. Great balls of fat dripped ooze, their tongues
thrusting out between folds of skin. Cadaverous creatures beat insect
wings, leering, their teeth longer than human arms. Twisted clusters
of limbs and torsos rolled in the sky, stitched together, flapping
wings of skin stretched over bones. Naked moles the size of dragons.
Naked men with beards of snakes and wings of bats. Creatures of fire,
of stone, of rot. All flew here, seeking the meals they craved, the
meat of dragons.
"Where are you, my children?" Raem whispered. "Where
are you, Jeid the so-called King of Dragons?"
They flew closer. Soon Raem could see details on the column; it rose
taller than the tallest tree, even taller than his palace back in
Eteer. Its capital was shaped as rearing dragons. No other structures
seemed to stand here, just a single pillar. He tugged the reins and
his mount descended, the wind shrieking around them. A circle of
marble tiles lay around the pillar, and Raem landed upon them, his
demon's claws clattering against the stone. The rest of his demons
circled above, screeching and sniffing. Raem could see none of the
weredragons he sought. His demon's nose twitched.
"Do you smell them, Anai?" He stroked her wispy hair.
"Where are they?
He dismounted. A few of his demons landed too, and they scuttled
around on clawed feet, slithered and left trails of slime, and
clattered on centipede legs. Most of the creatures still flew above,
sniffing, snorting, seeking their enemy. Raem frowned, gazing at the
place.
"This is no kingdom," he said softly. "This is nothing
but a dream I will crush."
All of Requiem,
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