Despite the collar’s control, Dnara’s feet stopped short at the sight. The skull’s bone had a blood red sheen, and the skull’s eyes were black voids larger than her head. Thick was the skull’s brow and sharp were its teeth, some the length of a forearm and others big and flat like paving stones. From the top of its broad crown grew two obsidian horns, shaped much like a bull’s, meant for fighting other dragons over territories that had long ago fallen to the spears of men. The skull’s empty eyes held her in place, her feet on the iron grate and the gate’s teeth rising overhead. Whispers spilled in from the shadows, offering glimpses of flesh and scale and raging fire. The collar’s hold on her waned, her heart pounded, and she lifted a hand towards the once magnificent creature’s remains.
Overhead, the gate clicked loudly into place with an echoing thunder. Torchlight flickered and the whispering shadows scattered. With a hand on her arm, Aldric kept moving, his guiding nudge stealing her moment of clarity away.
Flame-lit lanterns along the walls led the way into the keep. Whatever had extinguished the fires of Lee’s Mill had not reached Carnath’s capitol city nor its king’s castle. The lanterns painted the interior’s red stone walls with patterns made of light and shadow that danced as Dnara and Aldric passed by. From behind, thunder rebounded as the gate slid back into place. There would be no leaving the way she had come without the king’s word, and the collar kept her moving forward with one foot in front of the other towards an unknown fate.
Footsteps approached and into the lantern light stepped Liam. “Sir.” He placed a fist to his heart, glancing to Dnara before meeting his commander’s gaze. “Your request has been accepted. The king waits for you in his chambers. Delmurra is with him.”
“His chambers?” Aldric sounded disquieted by the news.
Liam took a quick look around the hallway where soldiers were stationed at regular intervals. None seemed close but Liam leaned in and lowered his voice. “His headaches have worsened, sir, in the weeks we’ve been gone. He... He doesn’t look well.”
Aldric’s lips set into a heavy frown. “We could wait until morning.”
“His Majesty insisted,” Liam replied.
Aldric considered it for a moment before nodding. “Very well. See to it that the squadron gets fed and rested. There’s no telling how long we’ll have before being sent out again. Then send a messenger to Haden’s Crossing. If Ren can be safely moved, I’d like to have her home.”
“Yes, sir.” Liam hit his fist to his heart then stood aside as Aldric and Dnara walked by.
She could feel the soldier’s concerned eyes following her but she could not offer a glance in return. The mention of Ren’s name touched a place in her heart that felt hollow, but the collar’s insistent buzzing took away the feeling before it could grow to anything more than a dull ache. As she obediently followed Aldric deeper into the keep’s interior, the ache faded into numbness.
Beautiful tapestries were hung along the walls between painted portraits and scenes of distant lands. Long spears, axes, swords and shields served as decorations with a different intent, and every so often the mounted head, claw or bones of defeated beasts filled in the empty spaces. Engraved golden plaques offered names and descriptions, but Dnara’s eyes remained straight ahead, seeing everything and nothing at the same time.
Upon exiting the maze of entryway corridors and entering the keep’s inner sanctum, the hallway widened and a lush crimson carpet padded its center. Lanterns were replaced by large fireplaces providing light as well as heat to ward off the still chilly nights of early spring. Aldric led Dnara on with confident footsteps, knowing his way through these halls and rooms without second thought. What might appear a disorienting configuration to an enemy’s invading force served a well-planned castle and home to the half-Orc’kothi commander.
Dnara followed without question, her limbs numb yet moving and her mind trapped within the hazy visions of this chosen path. The collar let her understand that one thing clearly; she had been shown multiple ways forward and she had chosen this one. Given the chance to choose all over again, even knowing what it had cost her, she would still have chosen the collar. The other paths had meant death, to herself or to others. This was the only way forward where lives would be spared, she was certain of it. If the prospect of being forever trapped within the collar’s control frightened her, she could not feel it. At least there was that small boon to be thankful for.
“This way.” Aldric directed her up a wide set of stairs to the keep’s second floor then turned left at the landing.
Dnara stopped suddenly at the top of the stairs, Aldric’s hand slipping from her elbow as the fog lifted from her eyes. Backlit by the final rays of a golden setting sun, a tall stained glass window filled the wall in front of her. It depicted a mighty king with a raised axe in one hand and a spear in the other. Overhead flew a red dragon, and under the point of the spear cowered a dark, hooded figure.
“Impressive, isn’t it?” Aldric said, stopping beside her. “It’s Retgar defeating Demroth with the help of the dragon. I’m sure you know the story?”
She nodded once and stared up at the window in silence. Retgar, the first king and savior of men. She knew his tale, had read his saga. A god who had walked amongst mortals to save them from themselves. Or, if Athan’s
