Chapter 9: The Light Inside
While I’ve been around the Wards for several months now, even I’m not ready for the sight of us—all six of us, plus Prince Philander and Oneiro—flying towards Remyssus. And these are my allies!
Despite the fact that Kalteratem is able to fly faster than all of our dragons, he takes our flight at an easy pace, flying beside Oneiro. With this many dragons, it isn’t possible to talk. The rushing of wind is too noisy. But in a way, the quiet is needed—I spend our two days of travel enjoying the warm sunshine on me, looking down at Amenyl passing underneath, dreading our next trip.
We avoid as many villages and towns as we can, and the few we do pass over come and go so quickly that nothing happens. But as I spot the glint of the Golden Palace off in the distance, the sprawling city walls of Remyssus, I also see armored soldiers bearing the Heidrich coat of arms, a golden lion on a red and black checkered background, swarming outside the city walls—Klevorian soldiers. Catapults are lined up and firing at Remyssus, while I spot a couple of catapults from within Remyssus firing back. Arrows and bolts are being fired from both sides. Smoke is drifting up from several places within Remyssus, as is the terrible stench of blood.
“They are attacking again!” Prince Philander shouts about the wind around us. Oneiro picks up the pace, headed toward the Golden Palace.
“Allow me,” Kalteratem says. He opens his mouth.
A bellowing roar echoes across the plains, so loud I feel it booming through me, announcing our arrival. The two armies pause, looking up at us, and there are panicked shouts from the Amenylian soldiers at first. Then they spot Prince Philander, holding a Verlassen banner high, and a tentative cheer begins. It grows louder as Kalteratem banks over Remyssus and heads straight for the Klevorian soldiers, leading us.
The Klevorian soldiers shriek in terror—unlike the Amenylians, they know exactly whose side we’re on. A horn resounds, and the soldiers turn and flee. They don’t even bother with their catapults, but head west as if their lives depended on it.
Kalteratem swoops over the retreating soldiers but doesn’t breathe, watching them. I slowly exhale with relief when none of the Wards attack.
“That wasn’t much of a fight,” Tikokaftos says, his tone disappointed.
“It will come all too soon,” Mortimer says.
Kalteratem flies back to the Golden Palace, where Oneiro has already landed and Prince Philander stands with his father and the four generals. I see General Norman gesture to the grassy area by the palace. The larger dragons take turns landing, but the smaller three land together. As the rushing wind dies down, I hear cheering.
“Praise Ariadna,” King Mahlir says. The king is dressed in gleaming gold-plated armor, a cloak with the Verlassen’s coat of arms across his back and side, his gem-embedded crown upon his head. But despite his regal battle appearance, he is visibly trembling as he hugs his son. “I feared the worst.”
“I do apologize if we startled you,” Veremund says.
“Father, this is Ward Veremund. He and the Wards agreed to come early and aid us in the battle.” Prince Philander chuckles. “But if I knew that all the Klevorians feared was a roar, then perhaps I need not persuade them all to come.”
I share a smile with Astralux, feeling her amusement.
Veremund, still chuckling a little, steps up and bows to King Mahlir. “Your majesty.”
King Mahlir bows his head. “Ward Veremund, I cannot thank you and your Wards enough. Your alliance has meant more to me than words can tell. And now here you have already aided us.”
“We did come to help, but I must confess, our presence is also a move against the Vladykars,” Veremund says. “We seek to draw them out.”
“The Vladykars took Ariadna’s Star,” Prince Philander elaborates. “The Wards are planning to get it back, but they need to make a stand.”
King Mahlir straightens, looking at his generals. “Let us step inside the palace and discuss our strategy.”
General Easton gives a snort. “It won’t be easy, but I must admit, with you and your Wards’ aid, Ward Veremund, I have hope again.”
Veremund smiles. “Please—our hope is in Ariadna alone. But thank you for the vote of confidence.” Then he turns to Thorn and me, his expression pained. “Thorn, Estelle, there’s no point in dallying.”
I nod, unsurprised. “We will get the Star.”
“What’s this?” General Norman stares between myself then Thorn. “They’re going to retrieve the Star?”
“From the Vladykars?” General Benjamin asks. “You send such young ones?”
“We think they have the best chance if the rest of us can summon the Vladykars out to battle,” Mortimer says, his tone strained.
“Ariadna above,” General Easton whispers.
We had already said our farewells in Adytol, in hopes to make this a little easier. But I can’t help giving Veremund another hug when he steps up to me. “Ariadna above, please be careful,” Veremund whispers. He then turns and hugs Thorn to him. “Ariadna be with you all.”
“And with you,” Thorn says. “Vite, let’s go.”
My throat tight as the Wards watch us with pained expressions, I climb back into the saddle. Kalteratem leans down, and he and Astralux touch their foreheads together. Then he does the same to Vitegadium.
“Go,” Kalteratem says. “Ariadna be with you all.”
“Ward Estelle!” Prince Philander calls. I turn in the saddle and look down at him as he flicks aside locks of his pale, strawberry blonde hair, smiling up at me. “When you return, I should like to have dinner with you.”
I feel Astralux’s frustration and anger rise. But I can’t help but smile. While he’s being persistent, it is with the hope that we come back, and I appreciate that. “When we return.”
Prince Philander’s grin broadens, and he gives me a small bow. I fight back a laugh at the dark look Astralux gives me, muttering under her breath.
Then Astralux takes off with a bound, rising into the air, Vitegadium just behind. The Wards wave at us as we circle the Golden Palace once, and then Astralux turns and heads north-northwest.
“Well,” I breathe. “This is it.”
Despite my apprehension, we still have a good two days of travel before we will even reach Klevor, and when we stop for the evening, halfway there, I take the time to practice blocking with my shield with Thorn.
“Did you want to practice with your sword?” Thorn asks.
I glance at my shortsword, still strapped to Astralux’s saddle, which has been set on the grass nearby. An involuntary shudder runs through me. And yet, I now understand the need for battle skill, more than ever. I walk over and draw the sword, swallowing at the lump that forms in my throat. Astralux, who is resting, sends me a rush of warm encouragement and assurance.
I haven’t sparred that much with Thorn. And while I have sparred with Neil, who I’m told is second only to Veremund, there’s something disarming about Thorn’s technique. Literally, as he feigns an attack on my right, spins, and then taps his thin sword on my left shoulder before I can raise my shield. When we start back up again, I find myself blocking rather than sparring.
“Come on, Estelle!” Astralux calls. “You can do it!”
Despite Astralux’s urging, I can’t get an attack in as Thorn weaves around me. Every time I try, he gets a tap against my leather armor. At last, after what seems like the hundredth time, I shake my head, gasping for air.
“I need to be done,” I say.
Thorn immediately sheathes his sword. “You did well.” When I give him a look, he grins. “Considering I’ve practiced at this for years.”
Chuckling, we gather around the fire I’d started, eating cooked pheasant that the dragons had caught for us when we stopped. The only vegetables I’d found was a single acorn squash, but it roasts well in the fire. I use my dagger to pull it out, cut it open, and give Thorn half.
“Fairies!” Vitegadium exclaims.
We all look up to see the flickering lights of fairies—tiny, humanoid beings with opaque, butterfly-shaped wings that glow with color, each fairy a different color. I hear the quiet, clear chime of a fairy’s call, and we watch as they slowly exist the bush they were hiding in.
“Strange, we aren’t close to any forest here,” Thorn murmurs.
I can feel the mistrust from Astralux, and I flood her with peace as the fairies flit our way. I hold out my hand, and several fairies land in my palm.
“Again?” Thorn chuckles. “You have a way with fairies, Estelle. They don’t usually take to strangers that regularly.”
“I still think you should shake them off,” Astralux mutters. She snarls at the fairies that are playing with her tail, and they scatter with warning chimes.
“Easy, Astralux,” Thorn says. “Don’t give them a reason to bite.”
Vitegadium, in the meantime, is watching fairies jump off his nose, his tail tapping lightly. I chuckle as he breathes a little, vines bursting from the grass nearby, and the fairies investigate the vines.
“You should breathe,” I say to Astralux. “The fairies might like that.”
Astralux rolls her eyes. “I don’t care about making friends with the fairies. Besides.” She glances to the west. “We should be careful.”
I follow her gaze, flinching. “True. Maybe we should put out our fire.”
“Good call.” Thorn stomps out the fire.
We all freeze as we suddenly spot several large draconic forms in the sky to the northwest. The fairies chime in fear and warning and swarm the vines that Vitegadium had made. I throw a blanket over Astralux’s luminescent scales and huddle close to her. Vitegadium has ducked as much under the bushes as he can, Thorn tossing up dirt over Vitegadium’s wings.
Then we all huddle close to the ground as the dragons head south. I count seven, and the foremost dragon is by far the biggest. We’re very far away, but I still hold my breath, afraid they’ll hear my pounding heart. They continue on, and when I can no longer see them, I slowly stand up.
“Well.” Thorn puts his hands on his head. “That’s good.”
“We had better hurry,” I say. “That was a lot of Vladykars, even for Veremund and Kalteratem to handle. Whoever was leading that group was really large.”
“No doubt Noxmalum,” Astralux mutters, “and Vladykar Malyncor.”
“I think Estelle’s right.” Thorn looks from Vitegadium to Astralux and myself. “If we can stand it, we should make more headway.”
Astralux nods. “I’d rather hurry. They know us—and if they realize we’re missing, they might assume we’re at Adytol, and would make for an easy target.”
Shaking off the dust on his wings, Vitegadium flinches. “Or they realize what we’re up to and head right back to the Malum Palace.”
I scoop up my mat and bedroll. “Then let’s get going. Maybe we can take a quick nap right before we get to Klevor.”
“Agreed.” Thorn bags the remaining food we have.
As I strap the saddle to Astralux’s side, I glance at her face. She’s staring off to the south, and I feel concern in her. “Astralux?”
“I’m worried about the others,” Astralux whispers. “I couldn’t make out which Vladykars those were, but….”
I hug Astralux’s neck, unable to get my arms around her. “I know.”
Astralux holds me close with one leg. Then she sighs and steps back. “The best way we can help the others is get Ariadna’s Star.”
Vitegadium grins. “So what are we waiting for?” He takes off with a bound, rising to the air with ease.
I chuckle as I mount Astralux, but my heart quivers as we continue on to Klevor.
Tamara Rivers 
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