world, did you find them so strong? If you did, then I've underestimated not only you but my little sister as well.'
Thelvyn laughed quietly, but Kharendaen looked fierce as she puffed out her chest proudly. 'You must not forget that the clerics of the Great One are trained warriors. But to satisfy your curiosity, I found the Masters as swift and powerful in a fight as any mature gold dragon, but no more so.'
'They seem to be stronger here in this world,' Thelvyn said. 'Their leader was at least three times as powerful as he should have been, although the others didn't seem as strong. And I would very much like to know why they are stronger here-if it is the result of some enchantment, or if they draw power in battle from the one who is called the Overlord. I also wonder if their enhanced strength is somehow due to their return to their true home world. Remember that the gemstone dragons came into existence when they tried to raise themselves to the level of the Immortals. They failed, but we don't know just what they might have done to themselves yet.'
He paused a moment, then glanced at Marthaen. 'At least I know now what the Collar of the Dragons is supposed to do for me. It enhanced my strength and powers tremendously when I faced the Masters.'
'Legend always said the collar would enhance the powers of the Dragonking,' Kharendaen pointed out.
'Yes, but no one could ever tell me how it works,' he insisted, then frowned. 'Tomorrow I must fly to Braejr to try to convince a group of people who normally do not get along that they must work together. I also must convince them to allow several hundred dragons to be garrisoned in their countries.'
'Let Korinn Bear Slayer tell them about the invasion of Rockhome,' Marthaen suggested. 'That should improve their opinion of dragons.'
*****
Thelvyn and Kharendaen left early the next morning, flying directly across the mountains of the Altan Tepes and the northern Broken Lands to Braejr. All during the flight, Thelvyn was concerned that this journey might be a waste of time. When he had left Braejr days before, Darius Glantri had been trying to use the considerable influence of Thyatis to arrange for a first meeting of parties to join in an alliance. Unfortunately, he had no idea of how much success the Thyatians had. He could only hope that a number of representatives had gathered and begun to work through their differences, setting aside past rivalries and complaints.
It was possible that the invasion of Rockhome had given them something to think about. Thelvyn now had the almost unquestioned support of the dwarves, and he had expected them to be among the hardest to convince. Of course, they now had experienced the danger of the Masters firsthand, and they had reason to be grateful. Thelvyn expected most of the other delegates to be far more reserved in their support. He wondered if he were beginning to think too much like a dragon, but he had to admit that it was far simpler to slay an enemy than to argue with an ally.
Their appearance over the city failed to raise any cries of alarm. That worried him, since he knew the generally bad opinion that the Flaem had of dragons. He had yet to prove that his armor was heavy enough to turn aside an arrow. He was apprehensive as he descended toward the yard of Solveig's house, waiting for the shrill challenge from a griffon. When he had landed in the yard and folded away his wings without hearing so much as a squawk, he began to hope that the griffon stables really had been moved to another part of the city.
Thelvyn moved aside quickly so that Kharendaen could land as well. They were both surprised when the door of the warehouse opened and a young gold dragon poked his head outside to stare at them. Thelvyn needed a moment before he recognized the young male as an old friend, the cleric, Sel-daek, who had journeyed with Sir George the previous year in search of the Collar of the Dragons. Sir George himself emerged from the front door of the house a moment later, followed by Solveig White-Gold and Darius Glantri.
'Korinn!' Solveig called when she saw the dwarf climbing down from his saddle. 'Then the invasion of Rockhome is over?'
'Aye, thanks to the Dragonking,' he declared. 'The Masters were nearly all destroyed, and their armies are broken and scattered. But our good dragon here is quick to remind me that the war is far from over and the worst still ahead.'
'It seems I have no need to remind you,' Thelvyn commented, watching while Kharendaen slipped out of her saddle. He turned to Darius Glantri. 'We have indeed won a battle, mostly because I was able to trick the Overlord into believing that the dragons had refused to follow me. Now he knows better, and I expect that his next attack will come very soon and with far greater strength. We must be ready. I hope you can tell me you've had some luck in calling together a council to discuss an alliance.'
'Then I can indeed contribute something to your good mood,' Darius replied. 'If Korinn Bear Slayer is here to represent the dwarves, then we now have delegates from all the major nations and a few minor ones. Even the Alphatians have sent a delegate-an affable chap, very eager to please, if a bit nervous at finding himself in the Flaemish realm.'
'I want to talk to them as soon as I can. . within the hour, if possible,' Thelvyn said, turning to the door of the old warehouse where Seldaek still sat. 'I assume you moved the griffons somewhere else.'
'We have them in the stables near the north gate,' Solveig explained. 'We had reached the point where we had too many griffons on hand to stable them all here. I've had the lair restored to the way it was when you left last year. The bed might be a little small for the two of you.'
'We don't need a great deal of room,' Kharendaen said succinctly. 'But there is most certainly not room for three. Sir George, you will have to do something else with your friend.'
'We've been preparing some lairs for dragon messengers in a warehouse near the palace,' Solveig explained. 'This place has been reserved for the private abode of the Dragonking and his consort. Do you need anything? A moose for lunch? A couple of virgins, perhaps?'
Thelvyn looked surprised. 'What would I want with a pair of virgins?'
'To eat them, of course,' Kharendaen said eagerly, licking her chops.
Thelvyn looked even more alarmed for a moment before he realized that Kharendaen was making a jest at his expense. He looked disgruntled over the matter, which only amused the others even more.
'You've never heard that old legend about dragons and virgins?' Darius asked.
'There aren't many virgins to be found around here, I assure you,' Thelvyn replied, then paused at the entrance to the lair to glance back at Kharendaen. 'I don't say that from personal experience, mind you.'
The light banter matched Thelvyn's positive mood. Things were progressing better than he had dared to hope. Most of the delegates of the proposed alliance were not only gathered but apparently in a mood to talk. Only a year before, King
Jherridan had striven desperately to organize an alliance against the Alphatians, and later against the dragons. Now both Alphatia and the dragons were a part of a new alliance against an unexpected enemy. Thelvyn himself had been more or less run out of civilized lands the year before, and now the world was ready to defer to his leadership. He was not so surprised at how much things had changed but at how quickly it had all happened.
A short time later, he and Kharendaen walked through the streets of Braejr to the palace, where the representatives were housed in the guest chambers. This was the first time he had seen the palace since the previous summer, when the extensive damage from his battle with the traitor wizards had not yet been repaired. The restoration was nearly complete, although Thelvyn was only able to enter as far as the main hall for a quick look about. So much of his past had been spent in this place, as the advisor to King Jherridan during his time as the Dragonlord, and then later when he had served as king. He had to resist the urge to change form so that he could take a more complete tour of the building.
Solveig had gone to the palace ahead of them to summon the representatives. Since the dragons couldn't enter any of the meeting rooms within the palace, they had elected to meet in the garden near the main gate. Thelvyn sat in the center of the paved court, like a broad patio outside the doors of the reception hall, with stone benches for the other delegates. Kharendaen lay beneath the trees near the wall. Once the meeting was assembled, they all spoke together for some time, although it was more accurate to say that Thelvyn explained everything he knew about the invaders to the representatives and answered their questions.
For his own part, Thelvyn watched the representatives closely and weighed their words with care. He was trying to judge the extent of the commitment their nations were able or willing to make. He also wanted to determine just how much the various nations would comply with the decisions made by their own delegates. The only representatives he could be certain of were Solveig and Darius Glantri, who already had broad authority to make binding decisions in this council.
