Legends of the Dragonrealm, Vol. III

face. As the newcomers’ weapons were still sheathed, the Green Dragon allowed them to ride closer.

After questioning glances aimed toward the distant figure of Darkhorse, both men acknowledged Kyl. In rather patrician tones, the clean-shaven one said, “Our Majesty’s fondest greetings to you, my lord! I am Baron Vergoth and my companion is General Yan Operion. We are to be your escort to the palace, where King Melicard and Queen Erini await you. Unless you have any objections, we can lead you there immediately.”

“Have preparations been made for His Majesty’s retainers?” asked the Dragon King.

“Places have been set aside for everyone. We do not think that you will be disappointed.”

Green looked at Kyl. The emperor-to-be inclined his head, but otherwise did not respond. The Dragon King, however, seemed to understand what the younger drake was trying to convey, for he turned back to the two soldiers and, with a nod of his own head, replied, “Then, you may lead us now.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Cabe marveled at the politeness of the soldiers. Not a trace of their enmity toward the drakes showed through. Kyl might have been the king of Gordag-Ai, Queen Erini’s father, so well were the men of Talak behaving. Melicard must’ve talked to them after Erini talked to him!

The baron glanced at the general, who turned his steed around and immediately returned to his place at the head of one of the two columns. Vergoth signaled an officer in the other column. The soldier saluted and barked out a command. With impressive precision, the column turned to face the gateway and began rearranging itself, becoming a spearhead of sorts with the officer in the lead.

When the baron saw that his men were ready, he turned his attention back to the drakes. “If Your Majesty and Your Majesty’s people will follow me . . .”

Kyl signaled for Vergoth to proceed. The Talakian soldier saluted him and turned to face the gates. As Vergoth called out the command to move, the Green Dragon raised his fist and motioned for the caravan to follow suit. Urging their animals forward, the drakes and the wizard trailed after their escort, with Darkhorse continuing to stay far to one side of everyone.

Only the column belonging to the baron moved. Cabe studied the second column, especially its commander. The general eyed the moving caravan dispassionately. He briefly met the gaze of the warlock, but then continued on with his inspection of the visiting delegation. Cabe Bedlam had met both the baron and the general prior to this occasion, but usually on state business and only for brief periods of time. Neither man actually led the royal guard, but for this visit, Erini had no doubt deemed it proper that Kyl be escorted by men of proper rank. Melicard would have chosen these two because of his trust in their ability to turn the situation around should the drakes be determined to cause trouble.

The second column had still not moved even after Cabe and his companions had reached the last man. The caravan, then, was to have an escort riding behind it as well as ahead. Melicard’s faith in the drakes was very definitely limited.

They entered Talak.

Each time he visited the mountain kingdom, the blue-robed mage could not help but admire the peculiar architecture. Talak was a city of ziggurats, stepped pyramids often looming high in the sky. The largest, of course, would be the palace, the tip of which he could already make out. The rest of the city was only a little less impressive, however. Every gate seemed to include first a visit to a marketplace. The caravan’s path took it through a people-filled, bustling combination of tents, stalls, and permanent buildings. Even the arrival of the drakes’ emperor-to-be did not stop most merchants from continuing to try to hawk their wares to the onlookers and even, in a few daring cases, members of the caravan. Cabe laughed and shook his head as one woman tried to convince him to purchase a roll of gaily-colored cloth. She followed along until he was at last able to convince her he had no interest, at which point she allowed him to move on while she attempted to assault one of the human servants farther back in the column.

Risking a study of the dragon heir, the warlock was interested to note the struggle going on in the handsome visage of the young drake. Kyl was fighting to keep his fascination with the city from becoming visible. His eyes, however, kept darting back and forth to admire one strange sight after another. The drake had made a few short visits to Penacles, which was closer, but had never been to the mountain kingdom. Cabe was aware that Kyl had believed Talak to be a rougher, less attractive abode. The dragon heir had expected a wind-blown, murky kingdom populated by sinister figures bent on the destruction of his kind. It was evidently becoming something of a shock to discover that these folk worshipped life and the enjoyment of it. There had been a period, from the years shortly after Melicard had assumed the throne to the time of his marriage to Erini, when Talak had come close to being the dark abode Kyl had expected. It was chiefly due to the queen that Melicard had not become the twisted monster his father’s insanity and his own mutilation had nearly created.

They passed more and more permanent buildings, tiny duplicates of the taller ziggurats. People clad in the bright, loose-fitting clothing that was most common in Talak contrasted sharply with the armored soldiers keeping order. The crowds grew more excited as the drakes entered deeper into the city, but no one tried to create a disturbance. The warlock was pleased about that, although he knew it was all Melicard’s doing. The king might be a good man, but he ruled with the proverbial iron fist.

The markets gave way to more permanent businesses, then to stately homes. The nearer they drew to the palace, the more elegant the travelers’ surroundings became. This did not mean that the crowds became any thinner. On the contrary. Here were the folk who controlled much of the kingdom’s commerce and politics. To them, the coming of the drakes, especially Kyl, was at least if not more relevant than their queen’s initial arrival. Cabe recalled Erini describing her journey through Talak and smiled grimly at the notion that the aristocracy and wealthy merchant class considered the newcomers of so much more import. Of course, years ago, when the young princess had arrived, most of the powerful had expected her to take one sharp look at the disfigured king and then flee in disgust and horror. Erini had certainly surprised them.

Cabe dismissed the thoughts as the palace of the king and queen of Talak at last loomed before them.

The gates surrounding the palace grounds were open. A contingent of the royal guard, half stationed on each side of the gate, came to attention. Two heralds raised horns to their lips and announced the arrival of the visitors.

Kyl gripped his reins tightly. Cabe would have sought to encourage him, but the Green Dragon was swifter. He leaned close to the heir and pointed at the palace, as if explaining some fact about it. Cabe was not close enough to really hear, but it was clear to him at least that the Dragon King’s words had nothing to do with architecture. Kyl at last nodded and relaxed his grip. Lord Green straightened again and pretended as if nothing had been amiss.

The warlock turned his attention briefly to Grath. Kyl’s brother was taking in all of the splendor with much less difficulty than his elder sibling. Cabe was impressed. Grath was no more traveled than Kyl. Perhaps it helped to know that most eyes were not on him.

On the uppermost step of the palace entrance, looking calm and unconcerned, were King Melicard and Queen Erini. With them were members of the king’s staff, looking not at all as unconcerned as their monarchs. There was no sign of the young princess, Lynnette, but it was not necessary for her to be here.

Melicard I of Talak was a tall and striking man. His hair had begun to turn to gray and there were lines etched into his angular features, but no one doubted his strength. He had a commanding presence; Cabe knew of few men who were not warlocks who were as overwhelming as the king. None of those few, however, could match Melicard’s unique appearance.

Both the monarch’s left arm and much of his face on that same side were silver.

In the early years of his reign, Melicard had begun his vendetta against the drakes. Two of his specific targets had been both Kyl and Grath. In order to combat sorcery that might be used to defend the hatchlings, Melicard had gone to the Seekers for aid. The avians had given him power of his own, in the form of magical medallions. Melicard had put them to good use at first. Then, during one attack, a medallion in his possession had shattered . . . discharging the stored power.

He had almost died. The injuries could be healed to a point, but the face was permanently scarred and nothing could save the arm. Seeking a semblance of normalcy, Melicard had sought out the rare, magical elfwood, a type of wood that could be trained to mimic whatever it was carved to resemble. A partial mask of the silver substance now covered every scar, even replacing most of the mangled nose. More astonishing, the elfwood arm moved with almost as much fluid grace as the original had.