“The Fae, guardians of Heilo Lake and Gloirs Mountain, are not so different from us. I have found them a good and trustworthy people. We, too, know the struggle of defending sites of such immense importance. We have similar goals, and have been presented with a chance for peace in striking down this foe. Torrent's forces will only become more powerful as time goes by. His ranks will swell, and as one who has faced him personally... I can tell you that he is a force to be reckoned with. It is only through cooperation that we will crush this army. And so, I ask you all, please, to take the first step toward peace this day. Please grant my request!”
The chamber erupted into chaos the moment Kaleb's speech ended.
“Risk ourselves for the Fae?” spat one, laughing heartily. “I think not!”
“Torrent? We will crush him ourselves. No need to involve the Fae in such a thing!” barked another.
Kaleb's father drew near to his son. “You've made your case. Leave the chamber and let them debate the cause.” He waved to Minx and Mau. “Take them, rest awhile. I will inform you of their decision. It may be some time...”
Kaleb obeyed, leading the Fae huntress and Mau from the forum. One of the guards unsealed the door, allowing them passage, and they left the rabble of the War Chamber. Slipping into a narrow side-hall, Kaleb allowed his shoulders to droop and loosed a long-held sigh. “Well, I gave it my best shot. We'll see what they say...”
Minx reached out and touched his arm, offering him a warm smile. “You did a good job. Thanks.”
The dragon shifter laughed nervously. “Dragons are stubborn, Minx. It's very possible they'll debate all day and night, only to flat-out refuse to help. Now that they know the stakes, it's hard to say whether they'll formally authorize an offensive. I got my hopes up when the messenger said they'd be willing to help; I should have known it would be more complicated when they had all of the details. It always is.”
Minx looked back to the dense doors of the War Chamber, the voices of arguing dragons still booming behind it. “We've done all we can. Let's hope for the best.” She put on another smile, admiring one of the gilt skylights above, but her heart skipped a beat as she considered the potential for disappointment in the hours ahead. If they say no... If they refuse to help, then we're doomed.
Hope was the only thing she had to hold onto at that moment.
She'd put her trust in Kaleb many times, but had she been wise to put trust in his people during such a critical moment?
Only time would tell.
“Wanna have a look around?” asked Kaleb, noticing her wonder as she canvassed the ornate stonework. He nudged her arm and stepped away from the chamber. “Come on, I'll give you the tour.”
For more than an hour, the trio wandered through the mountain, taking in a succession of breathtaking sights. They exited the structure through a narrow tunnel and found themselves on an earthy slab many hundreds of feet above ground, which had been cultivated to grow flowers of the most striking colors and sizes. They wandered through open-air paths, making the rounds of manicured gardens nourished by small mountain streams. They descended stone stairs cut directly into the sides of the mountain and passed through a charming bazaar where artisans peddled their crafts and luxury goods. Now and then, as they delved into the darker passages, they ran into more of those curious Kurgs—creatures, she was told, that could not venture into the daylight, and who dwelt always in the gloom.
The trio picked up food from one of the vendors at the bazaar and enjoyed it in a cobbled alcove on the outer edge of the mountain, basking in the sunlight. Minx ate contentedly enough, but even as she enjoyed the food and the scenery, she couldn't escape the guilt. I'm sitting here, relaxing. Meanwhile, things are about to go to pieces back home. I shouldn't be relaxing like this. I should be getting ready to go into battle.
Rest is important, offered Mau. This is going to be your last chance at anything like relaxation for a long time, whether the dragons agree to help us or not. Eat, rest and make sure you're in top form for the battle to come. The Faelyr rolled over, sunning her belly with a purr.
Kaleb finished his food and reclined against the side of the mountain. “We should head back soon, see if they've made their decision. If not, it might help to pressure them. They might be more amenable to helping if the Fae would agree to revise the treaty. I know your people may not wish to budge on that, but if they're hesitant to assist we'll come at them from that angle.”
Minx nodded, the guilt wrenching her expression into a dour frown. “This was supposed to be easy. My people entrusted me with a simple job. All I needed was a dragon's hide.”
Kaleb smirked. “Yeah, and then you ran into the wrong dragon, eh?” He chuckled. “This hide, what was it for, exactly? How does this shield spell work?”
“The warding spell that protects our territories—Heilo Lake, especially—requires one. It's an ancient form of magic, carried out by the Fae elders. It's only passed on between the elders, and the methods are a closely-kept secret. And when all of this started, need I remind you that I'd never met a dragon before?” She sighed. “To be honest, I wanted more than anything to help my people, and to do it efficiently. I just wanted to give them
