The Confliction (Book Three of the Dragoneers Saga) (Dragoneer Saga) (25 page)

On a trip to Pvurn to carry messages for the few Hazeltine witches that remained, Aikira came across a group of travelers walking toward Delton. To her elated surprise, there was Weldon Gimmerwick, but her heart sank as she saw he was helping along a woman and what appeared to be her young son. Aikira wanted to land and hold him, and ask him about her parents, and his, but she didn’t. She lifted away before the small caravan could see her clearly. She didn’t let Weldon’s new situation get her down, though. Her Weldon was alive, and maybe he had a chance at starting a life with a new family. She was a Dragoneer now, heart and soul. She knew their life together was never meant to be, and she left him behind.

Golden flew swiftly through the clouds so that her teardrops were blown away before they had a chance to fall.

When not attending Zahrellion at New Three Forks, or carrying messages for the Outland councils, Aikira spent time in the foothills watching Herald train the men, some of whom used to be Outland road wardens. She knew Zahrellion would announce her pregnancy soon. She was starting to show and wouldn’t be able to hide it much longer. What remained of the Outland councils all agreed that, until Indale and Delton were rebuilt, they would work with the new queen of the Frontier. It was a peaceful and well-functioning alliance, especially because Zah let the councilmen do as they would. Only once did Aikira have to intervene when there was talk of banning ogres from the limits of the coastal cities.

Aikira wanted the Dragoneers all to return to Clover’s castle. That place felt like home to her. It wasn’t meant to be, though. Zahrellion’s presence was needed to keep the spirits of the people lifted. King Richard had put Queen Alvazina in charge of the Mainland Peninsula and she had her own people to tend to. But inspiration was hard to come by, and when Zahrellion and Crystal lifted into the sky, the people all cheered and momentarily forgot their losses.

Aikira didn’t envy her white-haired sister at all. Her heartache had been tempered with time. Zahrellion’s hurt was fresh and unfair. There was no choice that could make it better for her. The situation was out of their control. She hoped Jenka would return soon. If only so that Zahrellion might feel less pain.

Marcherion had always been a hunter at heart and he relished the job of killing ‘horn-heads’ and the few Sarax that hadn’t yet cocooned. He hoped that someday soon he might be able to return home to the land of Kar and check on Brendly Tuck. He doubted there would be time in the next few years. He would only make the grueling journey after he was sure the other Dragoneers were safe and well. This meant that he might have to wait for Jenka to return.

He was the oldest of them and felt he had to set an example for the others. Going home amid all the destruction and confusion just didn’t seem right. Besides, someone had to hang around and explain the strange, sometimes maddening nature of girls to young Rikky. If he didn’t, then Aikira and Zah would brainwash him into lush.

Lemmy disappeared with the elves for a while, but returned with tidings for the new queen of the Frontier. The slower rate of elvish reproduction was why they had stayed in hiding so long. There were a few hundred of them now. Not enough for them to brave rejoining society, but enough that the race would be able to slowly build a population. They said they would stay in hiding, but swore that in a time of need they would come to the aid of man.

There were only a few Hazeltine witches left alive, and those were the old and feeble. They stayed in the Outlands, or returned to the kingdom’s frontier cities. Linux, though, was still alive and well, and still living in Rolph’s fit body. He was ordered by King Richard to return to King’s Island to serve as Richard’s Royal Wizard. Linux hated the title, for he didn’t practice magic of the wizardly sort. The title Royal Druid didn’t have the same ring to it, especially since Lanxe had destroyed the Order.

He didn’t dare refuse the young king, though. He had ruined the boy’s father, and even though he still longed to seek out and find his true body, he was growing accustomed to the one he was in. He had a feeling that when King Blanchard had run off, he hadn’t gone far. He’d grown close enough to the man to know that, no matter what skin he wore, he was not the type of man to abandon his people.

Jade was winging swiftly over a vast expanse of cold gray sea. Crimzon was behind them somewhere, lagging and struggling. Jenka wasn’t going to turn back to help him, though. He had sworn not to. He had sworn to find the Soulstone and Clover’s body and restore it to its fleshy form, no matter the cost.

Crimzon said she might not live again, but there was a chance, and if not, her soul would at least be free to find the
after
.

So it was, that for the eternity of another, Jenka left his love behind and made to find the Soulstone. He had every intention of returning.

Thus ends The Confliction Cycle of Dragoneers books.

Look for the next Dragoneer novel, a standalone adventure with: ‘The Emerald Rider’ his powerful young dragon Jade, and a weathered old fire wyrm named Crimzon sometime in 2013.

The Saga of the Dragoneers:

Part I - Full Confliction

The First Dragoneer

The Royal Dragoneers

Cold Hearted Son of a Witch

The Confliction

Also by M.R. Mathias

Crimzon & Clover I – Orphaned Dragon, Lucky Girl

Crimzon & Clover II – The Tricky Wizard

Oathbreaker – A Faery Tale Short

King of Fools

The Adventurion

And don’t miss the International Bestselling
Wardstone Trilogy

The Sword and the Dragon

Kings, Queens, Heroes, & Fools

The Wizard & the Warlord

Here is what people are saying about:

The Sword and the Dragon

(The Wardstone Trilogy Book One)

Overall
The Sword and the Dragon
(A+) is an impressive debut - a traditional fantasy that manages to be fresh. It succeeds in offering a complete reading experience.

– Fantasy Book Critic

This is an epic fantasy, and I do mean epic… A fat fantasy, the kind you would expect from a Jordan or Tad Williams.

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone wanting a solid, traditional fantasy read.