“Burned to death,” Khollo murmured. “What’s going on here?”
“Are they fighting among themselves?” Sermas wondered.
“Why would they burn each other when they have weapons?” Hern pointed out.
Khollo said nothing else, but stepped carefully over the corpse and through the doorway. It was good that there had been one dead vertag in the doorway to warn him, because in the corridor there were at least two dozen more.
By the look of things, this was the prison corridor. Cell doors lined both sides of the hall, constructions of iron and heavy wood. The wood was charred in places, and there were scorch marks on the floor. But the real surprise was the bodies. More than a score of vertaga littered the corridor, broken and burned. Some were slumped against the walls. Others clung to cell doors, trying to drag themselves to safety. Most lay on the stone floor though, fantastically contorted and stiff.
“Who could have done this?” Khollo heard Sermas whisper from behind him.
Khollo shook his head. The smell of charred and rotting flesh was starting to affect him, and he did not trust that if he opened his mouth words would come out. He stepped forward, picking his way through the scattered of bodies.
As Khollo advanced, he became aware that the corridor ended in one larger cell, the near wall of which was a fine grid of stout iron bars. He also became aware of a still, dark shape within the cell. Frowning, he raised the torch higher and peered into the gloom. What is that gleaming? He wondered. Could that be chains? Or – ?
Khollo’s mind went numb and the torch fell from his hands as he realized what he was seeing. Sermas and Hern ran into the back of him, and nearly set him on fire with their own torches.
“What is it?” Sermas asked. “What do you see?”
“The voice,” Khollo murmured. “Wait here.”
Khollo picked up his torch again and continued on until he was standing just in front of the cell door. Inside the bars, he could see a massive, scaled beast. Four stout, armored legs were secured by heavy shackles bolted to the floor. The beast’s tail was also anchored by shackles. Khollo gazed in awe at the magnificent creature before him. Then it stirred, its head lifting from the ground and turning towards Khollo. There was a rustling noise and Khollo caught sight of massive wings shifting position.
Then, a single eye opened and fixed Khollo with a riveting stare. The eye was a deep forest green at its center, whirling out in streaks of green and gray and black, a pinwheel of color, before transitioning to white, the same way a human’s eyes do. In that one-eyed gaze was a connection, an understanding that went deeper than words ever could. Breathing quickly, Khollo smiled and extended a hand through the bars, palm outward. The dragon watched him for a moment, then pushed its head forward until its nose was touching Khollo’s palm.
Energy rocketed through Khollo at the touch, making him gasp for breath. He became aware of a thousand sensations whirling through his mind. Hunger. Fear. Anger. Memories of days in the dark, of cruel captors and cold, damp cells. Khollo nearly staggered under the pain that he felt from the dragon. Then, he heard a voice in his head, dull with long-suffering pain, but hopeful.
You came, the voice said.
“Yes,” Khollo whispered. “I’m here. I’m sorry it took so long, but we couldn’t find you.”
You came, the voice said again. And just in time. I have been fading faster since the battle, though the fight made me stronger for a brief time.
“You killed them?”
Does that surprise you? The dragon cocked its head and fixed Khollo with a single eye.
“Um, no, I guess not,” Khollo admitted. “What does surprise me is that they let you kill them.”
I acted like I was dying, the dragon explained. I am no use to them dead, so they removed some of my bindings and tried to revive me.
“And in return, you flamed them.”
Yes.
“Khollo? Are you . . . talking to that . . . creature?” Sermas asked.
The dragon pushed its nose against the bars curiously. I sense others, he reported to Khollo. Have you brought me food?
“No!” Khollo said quickly. “Um, yes, Sermas, I am talking to the dragon. He seems to understand me.”
“What was the ‘no’ about?” Hern asked.
“The dragon wanted to know if you two were food,” Khollo replied, grinning back at Hern.
“Oh.” The cadet swallowed nervously and took a half step back. “Thank you for clearing that up quickly.”
The dragon laid its head flat on the ground, its excitement rapidly draining away. No food, no freedom, it sighed.
“We’ll get you out of this cell, and there are a few fresh vertaga upstairs,” Khollo promised. “How does that sound for a snack?”
Vertaga good eating, lots of meat.
“Glad to hear it,” Khollo replied. “Now, let’s see about getting you out of here.”
“Um, Khollo, can we talk about something for a moment?” Sermas asked.
Khollo looked back at the dragon. “I’ll be back in a moment,” he promised.
The dragon closed its eyes. Hurry, I want my snack.
Khollo nearly burst out laughing, but then he remembered where they were, in an enemy fortress with vertaga above them somewhere. He contained his mirth and retreated to where Hern and Sermas stood further down the corridor.
“What is it?” he asked Sermas.
“What is it?” Sermas demanded. “Khollo, think for just a second. This is a dragon, a creature out of legend.” He looked to Hern for
