* * *
Kelsey and Aila spent an hour sitting on the ledge in the cold, as the dragons continued their efforts to search for survivors inside the collapsed caverns. When they had finished, Frostback returned to the ledge, and picked them up in her forelimbs. She carried them a few miles to the south, where the other dragons had assembled on a low hilltop close to the wide empty expanses of the Fordian Wastes. The moon was shining down upon them, and Frostback’s silver scales were radiant in the light. She landed, and the two women scrambled free.
Deathfang had positioned himself on the summit of the barren hill, and the other dragons gathered round in a semi-circle.
‘This has been a calamitous day for us,’ he said, his voice reaching the ears of every dragon; ‘the worst day we have seen in a century. Some of you came with me when we escaped from the pits of that accursed city on the shore of the ocean, while others were already living in the Catacombs when we arrived. Still others were born in the Catacombs but, regardless of our origins, we are one kin; one family. As your lord, I have failed you.’
Many of the dragons looked surprised, and Burntskull seemed almost offended by the suggestion.
‘It was I,’ Deathfang went on, ‘who allowed Blackrose to stay in the Catacombs, and so set in motion the events that have destroyed us. I nearly came to blows with the black dragon earlier today, but she had a point – she escaped from the pits, and it was not her fault that the Ascendants decided to retaliate. Nevertheless, had I not allowed her to remain in the Catacombs, we would still be there, living in peace. I take full responsibility, and will step down as leader. To make it easier for my replacement, I will fly into exile, alone.’
There was an outcry. Several dragons tried to speak at the same time, most of them objecting loudly to Deathfang’s words. The huge grey dragon said nothing from where he sat on the hill’s summit, his eyes looking over the small crowd.
‘May I speak?’ cried Burntskull above the noise. ‘I have been Deathfang’s closest advisor for decades; I have a right to speak.’
The shouts died away, and the yellow dragon stepped forward, his eyes on Deathfang.
‘You are our lord, until we say different. You cannot relinquish your authority.’
‘I can, and I have.’
Burntskull’s eyes widened. ‘But, my lord, please. No one here can replace you.’
‘I’m sure you’ll find someone.’
Burntskull turned to the other dragons. ‘Do any here wish to claim the lordship? Is there one among you who thinks they could do a better job than Deathfang?’
No one uttered a word.
‘You see, my lord?’ said Burntskull. ‘You are our leader. We beg you to reconsider.’
‘You beg me?’
‘We do; please stay.’
‘If I did,’ said Deathfang, ‘would you all swear to follow my every command?’
‘We shall,’ said Burntskull. ‘Does anyone object?’
Again, no one spoke.
‘In that case,’ said Deathfang, ‘I reluctantly accede to your wishes.’
The dragons breathed out in collective relief. Aila shook her head, quite sure that the argument had reached the conclusion that Deathfang had intended from the beginning.
Burntskull bowed his head. ‘Command us, my lord.’
‘Our home has been destroyed,’ Deathfang said, ‘and that requires two responses. The first is that we must find somewhere new to live. The valley here has hidden us well for a long time, but there are other places in Khatanax where a colony of dragons could thrive and yet remain safe at the same time. One or two here among us remember the old days, before Dun Khatar was destroyed. South of that ruined city are forested mountains…’
‘I’ve been there,’ said Kelsey.
The dragons turned to look at her.
‘Sorry,’ she said; ‘carry on.’
Deathfang’s eyes narrowed for a moment, then he turned back to the other dragons.
‘It will be a long and hard journey,’ he went on, ‘especially for the little ones, across wastes and deserts with no water, but we cannot remain here.’
The ground rumbled as he spoke, then the hill shuddered, sending half of the dragons into the air in fright, while Aila and Kelsey fell over. Behind them to the north, a fissure had opened in the side of a mountain, and lava was seeping from it. The ground vibrated again, and then a huge roar echoed across the hills as the side of the mountain exploded, blowing thousands of tons of rock into the sky. Lava poured out like a river bursting its banks, and spewed down the slopes towards where the dragons had gathered, lighting up the night sky.
Deathfang looked at the broken mountain in disgust. ‘This land is dying. Follow me.’
He took off, and the other dragons followed. Frostback gathered up Aila and Kelsey in her forelimbs, and joined the others in the sky. Deathfang turned to the west, and they crossed back over the valley to the south of the Catacombs. The volcanoes there were still active, and their intensity had increased. Ash filled the air, and Deathfang was forced to turn away. He led them further south until they came out of the dense ash cloud, and followed the mountain chain until they reached a peaceful ridge a few miles from the edge of Tordue. Deathfang circled, then landed, and the others joined him.
‘I can still feel the tremors through my boots,’ said Kelsey, as she and Aila walked to where the dragons were arranging themselves into a ring. The younger dragons looked worn out, and so too were those who had been carrying the infants. Darksky remained to the rear of the circle, her three infants sleeping under her wing. She had said nothing during Deathfang’s resignation speech, and Aila had seen her cast several angry glances at Frostback.
Aila sat on the ground. The air was chill, and she longed for a warm bed. She glanced up. She had become used to the stars above Lostwell, but missed the purple
