Legends of the Dragonrealm, Vol. III

XII

Unlike the city of Talak, Penacles, situated to the southeast of the Manor, was a place of tall towers, many of them topped with majestic, pointed spires. It was also a land of gardens, reminding those who had journeyed from the Manor of their home. The gardens were everywhere and ranged from small plots of earth in the center of the bazaar to huge, rolling landscapes toward the eastern part of the kingdom.

Cabe could hardly believe that this day had finally come. It seemed as if the past few days had dragged slowly by. Preparing for this second visit had been only a part of the problem. Cabe and Gwen had also had to cope with the nagging fear that they had missed some legacy of Toma’s. There had also been the more realistic problem of Valea, who stared after Kyl at every opportunity. Somehow, Cabe had kept the two apart save on occasions when they were all together, but he knew that after Penacles something permanent would have to be done. Because of Kyl’s rank, the warlock had forborne from directly confronting him on this issue, but no more. This was one situation that could not go on.

Penacles had known no overseeing Dragon King for well over a century, not since the Gryphon and Cabe’s own grandfather, Nathan, had brought down the Dragon King Purple. The Gryphon had then ruled here until his long-hidden past had forced him on a journey across the seas and into the dark empire of the Aramites. While he fought to bring down the wolf raiders’ regime, his most trusted aide, General Toos, also known as the Fox, had ruled in his place . . . and had proved quite an impressive monarch in his own right. Still, even after roughly two decades as lord of Penacles, fiery-haired Toos still insisted he was only holding the fort until his king came to his senses. Hence the tall, narrow ruler’s nickname of Toos the Regent.

After Talak, Kyl did not seem as awestruck with Penacles, although that did not mean that the dragon heir was not fascinated. He drank in the wonders of the City of Knowledge. The dizzying heights of the many towers most impressed him, for Cabe noticed the young drake eye them again and again. Grath, too, was amazed. The Green Dragon and Benjin Traske, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to the beauty of the ancient kingdom. Of course, they had been to Penacles many times before.

Things were going well, but Cabe could not shake his uneasiness. He felt that he had a good reason, though; one of his party was missing.

Darkhorse had never promised that he would also accompany them to Penacles, and it may have been that the shadow steed felt it unnecessary since Toos was a much more reasonable ruler than tempestuous Melicard. Certainly, both the former and present monarchs of Penacles were on fair terms with the eternal. Kyl would not have impressed them by maneuvering Darkhorse into journeying with him to this place. The eternal would have understood that, too.

Still, Cabe had expected some word from the massive stallion. That this had happened virtually on top of their discovery of Toma’s intrusion was likely why the warlock was so bothered. It was not as if Darkhorse had not disappeared without explanation before. The eternal was governed by no one save himself.

“Is that the palace?” Grath asked him, leaning close so as to be heard over the trumpets and the crowds.

Cabe shelved his thoughts and studied the structure looming ahead of them. “Yes, that’s it.”

He knew why Grath had asked him. The palace of the lords of Penacles was a sharp contrast to that of the kings of Talak and also, in fact, to the city of Penacles itself. With so much beauty everywhere else, it was surprising to first-time visitors to discover that the palace resembled nothing more than a great stone fortress. The walls were a drab, unadorned gray and the only entrance was a massive iron gate. Huge marble steps that seemed to go on forever led up to the palace. There were no decorative columns, no gardens, and no statuary save the lone marble figure of a gryphon in flight. The last had been a gift to the lionbird from some of the citizenry during his long and productive reign. Toos had left it where it was as one more reminder that he was not king.

The honor guard that had been provided for them led the caravan directly to the palace. As in Talak, they were met at the steps. Toos was there, accompanied by the Gryphon, four officers who were a part of the regent’s personal staff, and a small honor guard. The former general had never taken a queen, although in the past year he had begun to court one or two women. Despite his resemblance to a man entering his latter years, the vulpine monarch had at least a good fifty years left of life. That was because mixed in with the graying red hair-red hair that had once made Cabe joke that Gwen and the regent might be very long lost cousins-was a streak of silver. Toos, like Cabe, was a mage, but in the former mercenary’s case, the magic apparently manifested itself as an uncanny ability to outmaneuver his opponents, be it on the field of battle or in the intrigue- laden courts of Penacles. The only other sign that Toos was a man of magic was his age. A sorcerer could live to be three, and in some cases, four, centuries old. Toos was already well beyond the normal life span of a human.

“Welcome, Lord Kyl.” The voice was strong and, while formal, still quite different from the practiced tones of the aristocracy. There was also a look in the regent’s eye, a look that hinted of humor.

“Greetingsss to you, General Toosss,” replied the young drake, executing a bow. The two then shook hands.

Cabe held back a smile. The heir, possibly with a little reminding from Grath, had remembered that Toos did not care to be called king or lord. The regent considered himself a soldier and so preferred to retain his rank.

“Your journey went well?” asked Toos.

“Quite well, thank you. I had forgotten what a wondrousss land Penaclesss wasss, or what a fassscinating place the city proper isss.”

“You’re not referring to the block of stone behind me, I hope,” commented the regent with a foxlike smile.

Kyl was momentarily taken aback by the openness of Toos. The young drake had met the human on occasion over the years, but not for quite some time and most often for only a few minutes. Cabe had warned him about the general, reminding him that Toos had been a mercenary and warrior for far longer than he had been lord of a mighty kingdom. Even the warlock, who had known Toos since the days when the angular commander had led the defenders of a besieged Penacles against the invading dragon forces of the Dragon Emperor, could not always adjust to the man’s mercurial style. As a soldier, Toos had constantly kept his adversaries off guard, the better to defeat them swift and sure. The style had suited him in his present role as well.

“The palace isss very-”

“Functional. The inside is not much of an improvement, although the grand ballroom and the royal court are decorative enough, I suppose. We’d best leave it at that.” Again, there was the foxlike smile. “Now, Lord Kyl, if you will allow my staff to see to your people, we shall end this greeting and instead save our breaths for climbing these steps.”

The drakes were not at first certain as to how to take the almost flippant manner of their host. The warlock smiled slightly. Toos had changed since their first introduction.

Grath whispered something to Kyl, who eyed the steps. The emperor-to-be nodded, then replied to the waiting Toos. “Yesss, the sssuggessstion hasss merit, General. Much merit.”

Snapping his fingers, Toos sent two of his officers to deal with the caravan. Then, waiting for Kyl to step up beside him, the general led the way. Everyone soon saw the wisdom of the regent’s words. The climb was exhausting, even to those who had been prepared for it. Progress slowed the higher they climbed, but at last the party reached the top of the steps.

Toos glared at the path they had just tread, grumbling, “That you can blame on one of your own, Lord Kyl. Someday, I must do something about it.”

“I said that for years, Toos,” retorted the Gryphon. “You would have to tear down everything here, though. That would be a massive undertaking.”

“Each time I climb those steps, it becomes more and more tempting, I’ll say that.”

Cabe surveyed the others and found to his surprise that, other than the sentries, who would not think of showing their exhaustion, the only one who appeared unaffected by the climb was Benjin Traske. The warlock