The news knocked the wind out of me. The elders had always seemed so powerful, so in control of everything. It was hard to believe they, and the rest of my clan, could be scrubbed out of existence. I let the shock wash through me, then banished it from my aura with a single cycle of my breath. If my clan had been wiped out, this was far from over. I’d find whoever was responsible.
They would pay for this.
“Thank you for telling me of this unfortunate event,” I said. “And I am grateful for the protection that clearly spared me from the same fate as the rest of my people.”
The dragon stepped down from its throne and kneeled in front of me. It lowered its head until our noses were mere inches apart, and the full might of its aura engulfed me. I looked into its enormous eyes, the slit pupils dilated as if eager to take in every shred of my existence.
“I see the anger in your eyes,” the dragon said, its voice low, but still so mighty it rumbled the bones beneath my skin. “And I know that I would feel the same were I in your position. But you have been marked for great things, Mr. Warin. Do not throw your life away on vengeance, no matter how satisfying you believe it to be. You’ve been given a task that is important not only to you, but to all of us. We need you, Jace. Let go of your anger.”
Grief and regret washed over me, pouring from the dragon’s aura and my heart. The great creature and I remained like that for what felt like an eternity before I could gather myself enough to speak.
“I don’t know how to do that,” I said. “I’m trying, but sometimes anger is all that keeps me going.”
The dragon rested the tip of its claw on my shoulder and let out a deep, rumbling sigh.
“We will find those who did this thing, Jace,” the dragon promised. “Do not give up hope. Return to the world of men and let dragons worry about the fate of the Phoenixes. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
The dragon’s request reminded me of what might have been an even greater danger than whatever had taken out my clan. I straightened under the weight of its gaze and told it everything I’d seen during my meditation on the Grand Design.
The dragon leaned back on its haunches as I spoke. It looked off in the distance, its eyes unfocused as its lips curled back from fangs half the length of my arm. When I finished, it let out a rumbling sigh and a gust of flame that raised the temperature of that great hall twenty degrees.
“Our world floats in a sea of darkness,” Pyrroloshyrian said. “From time to time, something from its depths washes up on our shores. You have battled the locust spirits. Before that, heroes forged alliances to battle demons. And, in the dark times before even that, dragons faced our own threats. But there are greater dangers out there, my young friend. We have never seen the likes of this new horror.”
My heart fell at the realization that the dragon didn’t have an answer for me. I’d hoped it would have some pearls of wisdom, but once again, no one had new information to offer.
That sucked.
“Thank you.” I bowed again. “I will take up no more of your time.”
The dragon stopped me with slight pressure from its claw. Our eyes met again. The ageless wisdom in its gaze was humbling.
“I know the task before you seems insurmountable,” it said. “I want you to know it is not. The heroes of men have done amazing, even miraculous things. And you are one of those heroes. Never doubt it.”
The dragon’s confidence bolstered my spirit. I nodded and held my chin up high.
It was time to do the impossible.
The Sleepless
HAHEN AND NIDDHOGG ambushed me when I returned from Shambala. The two had become fast friends over the past year because of their mutual love of tormenting me. The instant I saw the pair of them waiting for me, I knew I was in for it. After the horrible news I’d just received from the Scepter of the Scaled Council, I wasn’t in the mood for their shenanigans.
“I’m very disappointed you didn’t take me to see the dragons,” Hahen said before I could warn him off. “I could’ve learned so much.”
“It would be nice to go home.” Niddhogg sniffed and shook his head. “Now that we’re all friends again, they might’ve removed my curse so I could grow to full size.”
Knowing my diminutive friends were only teasing didn’t lessen the emotions their barbs stirred. I reminded myself they didn’t know the grievous loss I’d just suffered. My breath caught in my throat as I wrestled my anger back under control. The rage was still there, simmering below the surface, but it was no longer in danger of boiling over and burning everyone around me.
“My friends,” I said through gritted teeth. “Walk with me to my room.”
The story I’d heard spilled out of me in a voice wracked with a combination of rage and sorrow. As we marched to the dorm, I plowed over their interruptions and shocked gasps of surprise to get everything out. After I locked the door to my room behind us, I slumped onto my bed and buried my head in my hands. I’d managed to
