The Fallen Prince

it after Reece and Signe.

Even as Kera’s cry lingers in my ears, I jump onto Blaze and we spring into the air. The other two dragons follow, leaving behind the crushed and burned bodies of the wolf-men. I fly low, and we scour the camp with fire, diverting their attention so the others can escape. Arrows zing past. A net shoots out and entangles one of the dragons. With its wings and feet caught, it spirals down to the ground, where a swarm of beasts converge on it until there’s little left.

The largest, most scarred dragon lets out an earsplitting wail. From out of the trees rises a massive flock of hybrid lizard-birds. They descend on the camp like a wave of locusts.

I seize the opportunity and wheel Blaze around and head for the gorge. The big dragon follows, but stops short, landing near the bridge. As Blaze and I pass over the gorge, I glance back and see the heavily scarred dragon spit an arc of fire toward a line of men, and then leap into the air and fly off toward the volcano.

We enter the silent air of the gorge, and that feeling of being sucked down hits. Blaze, the smallest of the dragons, fights to make it over the dead space. When we hit the cloaking magic, it feels as if we’re flying through syrup, and with each wing beat we drop a little more. Then, we break across the gap that separates the Unknown from Teag, and in the distance, I see a huge fiery ball fly high, then descend with a thud that shakes the air.

Blaze spins out of a patch of thick smoke and ash. Everywhere I look, villages, trees, and field are burned or burning. The devastating sight makes the Roman invasion of Gaul look like a half-hearted effort. The whole landscape has been transformed. We collide with another smoke plume, and when we punch through to the other side, Kera’s dragon comes alongside us. She points in the fireball’s direction. “Someone made a fortress and is driving all the people toward it.”

Reece and Signe are heading that way. I have my doubts as to the wisdom of that, but there doesn’t seem any other choice.

One moment we’re flying, slipping in and out of smoke and ash, the next we’re dodging artillery. Blaze gains speed and zips close to the ground before he pulls up, skimming a huge stone wall as we climb toward the top. We veer to the left, and I urge Blaze to land on the roof of a tower where I have a perfect view of the place. An elaborate stone city stretches out in front of us.

I can’t imagine Hadrain creating this. Why would he? Why here?

Each building is perfectly carved and precisely placed for dramatic exposure. I get the feeling I’ve seen this place before. But how could I? And then I see it. The Hall of Whispers.

My heart nearly stops. This isn’t just any place. This city is in the video game Knights of Feldoria. Weren’t all of Jason’s favorite movies based on games, or turned into games? He had to have built it. About now I’m wishing I’d spent more time with those guys who had permanent nerve damage in their thumbs because they lived and breathed the video game scene after school.

So far, Jason has replicated only part of the Ruined City—five of the Nine Towers of Strength, one of which Blaze and I are sitting on, the Victory Gate situated along the west side of the city walls, the Weeping Gate to the north, the massive Hall of Whispers where the lord of the city lives, and the labyrinth of main streets, which can change direction without warning. That Jason was able to create what he has so far is amazing and terrifying at the same time.

Looking closer, I see men fighting within the streets. Guns and swords. Bombs and traps. It’s like the game, only worse. Real people are dying.

I nudge Blaze’s side and we fly over the city’s defenses. Along the wall, catapults fling monstrous stones, and murder holes are put to good use. Vats of tar bubble at specific intervals along the wall. I see two men set a tar-coated stone ball into a catapult and strike a light to it. Fire engulfs the ball, and a few seconds later, the stone is launched toward a line of Hadrain’s men. The sky is alight with fire before the stone slams through people, siege towers, and defenses alike. I have no idea where to begin looking for Kera or any of my other friends. The mass of war hits my ears and my eyes, and I worry I won’t know who is who.

We pass a man standing atop a watchtower. He locks on to me, twirls a sling above his head, and lets fly a small ball that whistles past. Nothing in Teag is simple. Blaze knows it, too, and darts away. Hearing a crack, I turn and see the ball explode. Tiny shards of colored glass shoot in all directions. As the glass falls, it gathers together and becomes a colorful bird that flies back to the man. I’m out of range, and he turns away from me, though he doesn’t waste any time. The bird is placed into another ball and loaded into the sling. I frantically search for his target and see Kera and Baun dodging a behemoth tri-top.

The man starts swinging his sling. I call fire to my hand and shoot it toward the tower. The man stops swinging and grabs his bird before he tries to run. Big mistake. Flames burst before he takes two steps, and he falls to the floor, his bird a mess of melted color in his hand, his howls of pain coloring the air.

I circle Blaze around and chase after the tri-top. We dart in, and I blast it with fire while Blaze slashes the tri-top’s wing. The beast screams and lashes out at us. We whirl away and come around for another attack. I pull out my sword, and when we fly beneath the animal, I slice its belly open. With a cry, it tumbles away.

Kera looks my way and I point to the ground near a spot at the foot of one of the towers. Though three streets lead to it, the tower is well protected by a walled courtyard. We land in front of the wall, and before Kera can jump down, I dismount and stop her. “I want you out of here.”

“You keep trying to protect me, but I’m a better fighter than you.”

“She is right,” Baun says from his perch. “I’ve seen her.”

“You’re blind,” I snap. “Stay out of this.”

He jumps down and I hear him mumble, “Now who is the one discriminating against others?”

Kera tries to dismount and I push her back onto the dragon. “It’s not about skill. I don’t think I could handle it if you got hurt.”

“What about you? Do you think I am happy knowing you are risking your life while I sit in safety?”

“This argument is moot,” Baun says.

Moot. Who uses words like that? Oh yeah, my crazy dad. I glare at him, but he can’t see how annoyed I am. “How so?” I ask in my most sarcastic, disrespectful tone.

“None of us can defeat your friend alone. It will take all of us together.”

Kera blinks, surprised by his announcement. “But I thought you said you could save Teag if you were set free.”

Baun waves his hand in front of him as if he’s waving away her doubts. “It was my thought, until I realized we’ve split my power into too many parts. Remember you each hold a piece of my power that Navar stole from me. Only when all the power works together is it whole. Only then can your friend be defeated.”

Kera pales. “You want your power back?” She slips off the dragon and looks up at me in a panic. “He wants his power back. What have I done?”

She helped release the one guy who could make her fully human again. I have no doubt it’s a shock to her.

I tuck her under my arm and hold her close. “It’s okay. He can’t take it from you. He can only ask you to borrow it, but you’re not going to give it to him.” I direct my words at Baun. “You’re not going to ask her for it.”

“Of course not.”

I breathe a sigh of relief, but it’s short-lived. He can get his power back if he kills Kera.

I push her behind me, draw my sword, and hold him back with the tip. “If you come near her again, father or not, I will kill you.”

An arrow whizzes by. Blaze and the bigger dragon spring into the air and set to defending us from above as I drag Kera with me behind the short wall surrounding the base of the tower. Two men lie dead and I push them out of the way.

Another arrow flies inches from Baun. I may not like him, but I can’t stand by and see a blind man get used for target practice. I dart back out and shove him behind the wall with us. He presses his back to the stones and sweeps a shaking hand through his hair.

Squatting between him and Kera, I say to him, “I think you should stay here, out of trouble, and let us handle this.”

He shakes his head. “Dylan, you need me. I am not as helpless as you think. We’ve landed smack in the middle of a full-blown war for Teag. One of your friends is tearing it apart, and Kera told