“The demon hordes were beaten into submission by the Overlord, and then banded together to conquer the humans. The humans had the power of numbers but lacked cohesive leadership; easily intimidated by shows of magick and power they didn’t have. The war was mostly on an even footing until the drakens got involved.”
I perked up, and even Georg was engrossed, eyes pinned to Domik.
“With draken involvement, the humans felt they had their own magickal element, and the drakens were fierce fighters who taught them several new tactics. The war quickly swung in the direction of the humans, with the demon hordes being pushed back to the edge of the ocean.” Domik’s voice faltered, and I guessed what was coming next.
“Was the volcanic eruption natural or done by the Overlord?”
Domik’s sharp eyes shot up. “We have never checked, though I would be a clever move by the Overlord.” He shook his head roughly.
I traced the map of Dorea with my eyes, watching how the draken and human armies had pushed back the demon hordes.
“Once the drakens left the war, the humans just gave up?”
Domik huffed.
“The rest is speculation on my part, since by then I was stuck here. I assume that with the loss of the only magical creatures on their side, they scattered. A few tried to band them together, but the damage was done. Scattered and weak, the Overlord regained all the lost land in a matter of weeks, and then it was over. All humans were subjugated, and here we are.”
“I don’t understand; there are other magickal creatures out there. Why weren’t they involved? Surely they didn’t all side with the Overlord?”
Domik sat down, his shoulders slumping.
“We had hoped that more would come to the aid of the humans. With the catastrophe of Lyoness, we could not continue fighting. Though it is easy to blame the draken race for the downfall of humanity, there is a much darker truth that is to blame.”
I leaned forward. “What is that?” Domik’s lips pursed.
“Neutrality.”
My brows furrowed, considering. Domik ploughed on, fire in his eyes.
“The other creatures pledged neutrality, not wanting to get involved. Humans have never been the friendliest of races, especially when it came to magickal creatures. Some even figured it was nothing more than the humans deserved for how they treated others. It was maddening really; between humanity’s superior numbers and the combined magicks of all the remaining creatures, we could have beaten the Overlord in a matter of days.”
I didn’t know how to process all of that. The reason humans were enslaved and treated like animals was because the other magical creatures were neutral? It was horrifying. Domik read the look on my face.
“I agree completely.”
It would be easy to hate the drakens for withdrawing from the war—too easy. I couldn’t blame them though; with one fell swoop, most of their species had been completely wiped out. The anger belonged at the others; the ones who refused to help.
“To be fair, there is another element at play. It is difficult to combat white magic with black magic. I’m sure you can imagine why. It is much easier to use multitudes of unwilling sacrifices to ward your lands, when you would need just as many willing ones to dismantle it.”
I could easily see where that would be a problem, asking people to die for a species who didn’t even like you.
“Benedict said Rhyfel’s sacrifice is what keeps them tethered to the mountain; to keep them safe.”
Domik’s eyes flickered in recognition. “You know that much? Good.” He paused, as if thinking how to begin. His eyes darted between Georg and I, and with a roll of his eyes, Georg went to the other side of the room, running his fingers along the aged spines. Kieran and Ronan stood stonily behind me.
“I hear you are not on good terms with Benedict.”
That was a mild understatement. Time to change the subject.
“Benedict said he knows where the lost draken is, but that she’s ‘lost’ to him. What does that mean?”
Kieran and Ronan jerked, bumping their knees against the chair I sat on. I ignored them as Domik went very still and considered his next words carefully.
“Sometimes, knowledge that is widely known can be more deadly than helpful. I think this is one of those times, don’t you?”
I had to agree. Domik sighed.
“As for Benedict, there are several things that could mean. Perhaps he knows where the lost daughter is, but she is a captive. Or she could be dead, and he knows that knowledge will destroy the drakens here. Taking away hope is a dangerous, deadly business. As for staying within the mountain, many would argue his job as King is simply to keep as many drakens alive for as long as possible. In this regard, he has done his duty admirably.”
I stood and ran my hands through my hair. It was easier to have more sympathy for Benedict when I realized what a weight he carried on his shoulders. He likely had no one to confide in. I turned back to Domik.
“Do you think she’s dead?”
He shook his head, a small smile at the corner of his mouth.
“No. I think Benedict knows exactly where she is; he has a few extra abilities as king that we don’t. It makes sense to me that she is alive, but out of reach. After all, wouldn’t she be subjected to the same curse of immortality we are?”
That did seem like a nice perk. Domik came around the table and sat across from me, folding his hands neatly in front of him. I latched onto another subject.
“Can you tell me about the last female draken? Rhyfel?”
Domik’s eyes grew dark.
“There isn’t much to tell. She wasn’t a member of the royal family, and not particularly gifted with white or
