Jastillian stroked his gray-spotted beard. “I’m with the lad. We dwarves have a saying, ‘In for a chisel, in for a hammer.’ This is our opportunity to do what no other has done in centuries. Great songs will be sung about us.” Jastillian smiled and clapped my back. “Plus, Hellsfire needs our help. Not even Shala and Renak fought alone.”
Behast and Demay regarded Prastian. As the leader of the elves in the group, as well as the successor to Sharald, king of the elves, he was the one I had to convince. Whatever he decided, the others would follow him. Prastian didn’t say anything. He had a thoughtful look on his face, but that expression faded as he walked right past me. My heart sank. I wouldn’t have the elves—my friends—by my side.
Prastian sat down and studied the map of Renak’s tower they had found earlier. “Well, what are you waiting for? We have a lot of work to do.”
A frown passed over Demay’s face. I worried he might not come, but then he said, “We’re with you, Hellsfire. But please, I would like to keep my soul in
this
body.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Behast nodded to me. “If we are to die, I would like to do so with my body under my own control.”
I returned his nod.
I smiled, glad to have their assistance. It was very dangerous and powerful magic Krystal had given me. I could see why she was reluctant to give me access to the magic Alexandria had collected over the years. If this was just a hint of what lay in there, what other secrets could their archive contain? I had to be careful for my friends’ sake, if not my own.
I wished we could have found some more to help us, though. A potion, a powerful artifact or weapon, or a secret way into Renak’s old castle. Seeing the gash in Behast’s arm, the slight burns on Demay, and the anger in Jastillian’s face, I thought coming here had been a waste of time. But then I saw the tranquility of the now-restored garden and how Stradus would always be watching over the White Mountain, and thought that after all he’d done, it was well worth it.
Before we left, I constructed webs on Stradus’s room to safeguard his belongings, and on the library and the garden. Ones that required different passwords to enter.
After two days had passed, we finally left the White Mountain. When we departed, we took a couple of books with us that Prastian and Jastillian found of interest to them. I didn’t take any of the relics in Stradus’s old room. There wouldn’t be time to study them before venturing into the Wastelands. Premier might not have his complete power back, but he would be expecting me, and he would be planning something. I was tempted to take a few and leave them in Krystal’s hands, but I might never see them again.
Around midday, we settled back down in Alexandria’s castle and dismounted off Cynder.
Prastian bowed low to Cynder and said, “Thank you, again, Great Dragon. We are honored.” The rest of them also bowed, but I didn’t.
“Thank you, Cynder,” Demay said. “I didn’t know flying in the clouds could be so much fun.”
“I prefer my feet on the ground,” Behast said.
“I’m thankful for the gods’ eye view of the world,” Jastillian said. “It reminds me that the gods think differently from us.”
“You should be so lucky,” Cynder said and smiled. He stretched his long neck and peered into the distance. It took a moment for him to remember we were there. “It was an honor to get to know you all as well.”
“I hope we can do it again sometime,” Demay said, his green eyes filled with excitement.
Cynder didn’t say anything, but swiveled his head and stared into the distance again.
“Come on, Demay,” Prastian said, tugging on his brother’s sleeve. “We’ve got preparations to make and Behast needs to be taken care of.”
My four friends left, leaving me alone with Cynder.
“You’re leaving.” It wasn’t a question, but a fact.
“Very perceptive. You’ve finally learned something from me.”
I bit the inside of my lip and gazed up at the dragon. I had been worried Cynder was going to leave when he told me he wouldn’t accompany me to Masep, no matter how hard I pushed him. I shouldn’t have expected him to stay around, but I had. With Stradus gone, there was nothing to tie Cynder down anymore.
I laid my hand on his smooth, red scales. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay? I could use your help.”
“Of course you could. You’re a weak human.” Cynder grinned. “But no. It’s time for me to spread my wings once again.”
Cynder unfurled his wings, poising his body to take flight. My hand fell off him.
“Stay,” I said, finding my voice hoarse. I cleared my throat. “Alexandria would worship you even more. They may even build you a statue. You’re a symbol to them. You inspire them, especially after what happened with Premier. They would miss you...and so would I.”
Cynder folded his wings and stretched his neck until his face came so close to me his sulfuric breath draped me. “I didn’t know you cared, but you’re not my type.”
I clenched my fists. The stupid dragon was already making it harder. “Fine! I’ll miss you, you arrogant, overgrown oven. Is it so much that I want my friend to stay? You’re the only one who understands what I’m going through. Not even Krystal knows how I feel or understands the burden I’m meant to carry.”
Long moments passed as neither of us said anything. Cynder stared at me and didn’t move a muscle. Finally, he spoke. “You’ll be fine, Hellsfire. You have friends who trust you and a woman who cares deeply about you. I can’t stay with you any longer.”
“But why? What else do you have to do?”
“There’s an entire world out there. Why would I want to be stuck here with you?” Cynder snickered and smoke oozed from his nose. “I was Stradus’s guardian, not yours. We’ll always be friends. But if you tell any other dragons, I will deny it.”
I chuckled. He was right. He wasn’t my guardian and he had already done enough for me. “What are you going to do now?”
Cynder scratched his claws into the ground and flung a large chunk of soil. “I’ve already seen much of the world, traveling with Stradus.” He sighed. “You know I can’t go home until the Great Barrier falls.”
I remembered him finally relenting and telling me the story of him and Stradus first meeting. How the youthful dragon helped the young wizard, and that because of it, Cynder was banished from his people. His people were from the far east, and if it wasn’t for the Elders’ punishment, Cynder would be with his people now.
“I will fly wherever the wind takes me,” the dragon said.
“All right. If you change your mind, you know where I’ll be.”
“One wizard in a lifetime is more than enough, and besides...” His reptile-like face hardened until it became immovable—a serious look rarely found on him. He lowered his deep voice. “The path you walk is dangerous, Hellsfire. So much so that I think it’s better for
my
health to stay away. There are times when you’re going to want to quit, but you must stay your course.”
I raised my right eyebrow. “What did Stradus tell you?”
“More than you’ll ever know. What did Stradus used to say? ‘Let your heart guide you and never give up, no matter how much you want to.’ Maybe things will be as simple as that.” Cynder smirked. “It’s worked out well for you so far.”
“Thank you, my friend.”
Cynder lifted his snout and huffed a puff of smoke. He unfurled his long wingspan. “Prepare yourself. Next time we cross paths, it will be I who bests you, oh Chosen One.”
“Aren’t you going to say goodbye to Krystal or the king? I think you owe them that after you’ve eaten all their food.”
“Hellsfire, when will you learn?” Cynder asked. “I am the greatest of all the gods’ creations. I owe no one anything, least of all you puny humans.” Cynder grinned. “I will give them something to remember me by. And who knows? They may see me from time to time.”
Before I could say anything, Cynder launched himself into the air like a catapult. The eruption of wind staggered me and I barely kept myself from falling. Unlike all the other times when that maddened me, I smiled.
“Goodbye, you smoke stack.” I waved as I watched him go.
Cynder swooped to the center of the city. He hovered in the air, flapping his wings. The mighty dragon let out an ear-shattering roar, pounding into the hearts of Alexandria’s citizens. All the people in the castle stopped their work as Cynder mesmerized them all.
The red dragon flew higher, twisting and climbing until he became a dot. He blazed like a sun against the blue sky. I placed my hand above my eyes to negate the glare. Cynder’s wings stopped and he dropped like a stone, his sleek body spiraling down.
“What are you doing?” I called out.
I worried he was going to crash into the city like a falling star. The guards standing on the castle walls pointed and yelled. Before he could hit Alexandria, Cynder heaved a trail of fire, moving his snout to shape it into a circle. He glided through it, lifting his body before he hit anything. I couldn’t see over the walls, but I knew that backlash of wind caused people a lot of trouble.
“That egotistical dragon,” I said and smiled, watching him as he flew into parts unknown. He did give Alexandria something to remember him by.
I walked back up the hill, heading back into the keep. Krystal had told me that her soldiers were going to gather the supplies we needed for the ritual, but a wizard always double-checked. I thought about how I couldn’t wait to see her again, but I didn’t have to go far to find her.
Krystal was standing near one of the buildings. Next to her were Ardimus and Captain Rebekah. Their awe-filled gazes were still trained on the direction Cynder had flown.
I greeted them, jolting them out of their trance.
“Hellsfire,” Krystal said.
“Princess,” I said and bowed.
“I was just coming to see you.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You were?”
“Yes, I wanted a report from you about what happened in the White Mountain. I saw Behast’s wounds.” For a moment, her purple eyes filled with compassion and her face softened. She turned to her companions. “Leave us.”
Ardimus departed, walking so he was out of earshot. When Captain Rebekah, walked by me she wore a smirk on her face.
I glanced from side to side and I suddenly realized we were alone. “Krystal, do you think it was wise to send them away?”
“Are you questioning my orders?” she asked with a playful smile.
She fell back into the shadows of the building and leaned up against a buttress. I went with her, disappearing from the view of any bystanders.
“I’m glad to see you’re all right,” Krystal said. “I was worried something might have happened to you.”
I exhaled. “It almost did.”
Her purple eyes darkened and her cheek muscle flexed. “Tell me.”
I gave my report to the princess, telling her almost everything. I left out what Stradus said to me about my destiny. As much as I trusted her, I needn’t worry her even more. As good as she was at masking her emotions, I could tell she was already distressed about me venturing into the Wastelands.
Afterwards, she said, “I’m sorry you had to fight the leshii. I’m just glad you’re all right and that you completed the binding potion.”
Her face became stoic for a moment. I knew she was still angry at what I planned to do. We, along with her father, had had many arguments about me killing Premier instead of securing a book they didn’t believe existed and binding his powers.
Krystal ran her fingers along my arm. “I’m sure you won’t need anything else except your powers and the help of the others in the Wastelands.” She feigned a smile, but it was sad.
I knew she was lying, but I kept quiet.
“I’ve obtained the supplies you need,” she said. “Unfortunately, my people had a hard time getting them. The Wasteland creatures are falling back from the surrounding area and the attacks have lessened since the battle.”
“What do you think it means?”
Krystal narrowed her eyes. “Premier’s up to something.”
“You think he could be preparing for another attack? But how? He should be weakened after I defeated him.”
“We’ll ready ourselves for whatever may come, but it may be
you
who finds out first.” Her eyes shimmered with a light sheen. In a hoarse voice, she said, “I’d send all of Alexandria’s army with you if I could.”
“I know you would, Krystal.”
She turned to leave, as we had already spent too much time alone together, but I stopped her.
“I have something for you,” I said.
“You do?”
I nodded. I reached into my purse and dug out my former master’s necklace. I handed it to her. When she touched it, the dull jade mineral flared, the green light blinding me. The powerful magic shocked me, traveling up my arm until it sucked my breath away. My inner fire mana roared and blossomed, yet I didn’t prepare it for a spell. The light vanished and the hexagram lost its life and color.
“What was that?” Krystal asked, putting a hand to her bosom. “It was incredible.” She took the necklace and inspected it. “Where did you get this?”
“Stradus gave it to me. He said he once gave it to his beloved and now I’m giving it to you.”
Her eyes met mine and she smiled. “You realize what this means?”
I shook my head.
“You don’t know?”
“Stradus told me to give this to someone special that I cared about deeply. There was only one person in the world I thought of—you.”
Krystal brushed aside a lock of her sun-kissed hair and her whole face blushed. “You’re sweet, but let me tell you what it means.
“Wizards used to have a tradition of bestowing magical gifts upon their loved ones. The gifts could be anything: a carved figurine, a dagger, a bracelet, a polished stone, or a necklace,” she said, holding up hers. “I don’t understand the magic involved or what could be done with it, but these gifts were very special because of the magic used in their enchantment. Some said it was the most powerful magic—and it’s only given to the people they loved.”