“Well, let me hear it again and I’ll tell you.”
“Andier of Roir, the Silver-Tongued Rogue.”
Great title, Eric thought. “And do you have my companions’ names learned so well, too?”
Matt discreetly made signs with his fingers at him. Nicely done.
“I would certainly hope so,” the Prime Minister replied. “The knight is Lord Korrin of Andor, the Golden Knight, whose charming smile dazzles the ladies more than his gleaming armor. The Dragon Slayer, the Lord of Hearts, the Pride of Andor. A man whom women want, and whom men want to be.”
On hearing this, Ryan raised an eyebrow and began to grin until catching Eric’s eye and receiving a subtle but stern shake of the head. The supposed knight pursed his lips in amusement.
The Prime Minister turned to Matt. “Soliander of Aranor, the Majestic Magus, the Flaming Hand, the Lord of Power, a wizard so potent that whole armies have been known to balk at your name. Few have dared challenge you, and none have been the victor.” Matt nodded as if unimpressed.
With a nod at Anna, the Prime Minister said, “The lovely Eriana of Coreth, a golden-haired beauty whose healing touch brings life to the dying and hope to the lonely. Said to be favored of the gods, perhaps even a lover, for the strength that flows through the Blessed One is unmatched among mortals. The Lady Hope, you’ve left many a warrior smitten by your healing hand.” He bowed and then turned back to Eric, who tried not to grin at the atheist Anna, who wore an expression of muted annoyance.
“And finally, Andier of Roir, the Silver-Tongued Rogue. With a mind full of tricks, an ear for the unsaid, and a knack for entering places uninvited, the Slippery Serpent can learn more about you than your own mother.”
“Very good,” replied Eric, thinking they were in an awful lot of trouble. “And you refer us as the champions, not by any other name? Some places give us nicknames.”
“Not here, Andier. You are, of course, the Ellorian Champions, from the world Elloria, though most simply call you the champions. With your permission, we may continue?” The Prime Minister pointed at the map. “You recall there is an old castle, Castle Darlonon, nearby in the mountains. It’s a ruin and therefore largely forgotten, and so it was here that you created a device with a dual purpose.”
Sonneri interjected, “As you no doubt remember, this device, the Dragon Gate, would not only remove the dragons from Honyn but prevent them from returning. The details of how to operate it were not revealed to us, and only Soliander knows how it works.” He looked at Matt, who looked uncomfortable with the revelation.
“Or so we believed,” added the Prime Minister. “Two weeks ago, a dragon was seen flying over the peaks east of here. Investigation revealed there is great activity at Castle Darlonon when there should be none, and that the gate stands open. We believe the escaped dragon is Nir’lion, and it’s a certainty that she intends to release the remaining dragons, which must be prevented.”
“Only one came through?” Ryan asked.
“We think so,” admitted Sonneri. “We suspect that whoever released her has a plan that requires only Nir’lion for now and that the others continue to remain behind, but that is conjecture. Suffice it to say that if the rest had come through, we’d be battling for our lives.”
“You don’t know who released her?” Anna asked. The men shook their heads.
“What about the Dragon Gate?” Matt asked. “What condition is it in?”
Sonneri replied, “We believe it’s intact.”
“You haven’t seen it, then?” Eric confirmed.
“Not directly, no, nor has anyone else. The castle is guarded by members of the Dragon Cult and mercenaries they’ve hired. No one has been able to get inside except a magical spy I sent.”
“Who is this cult?” Ryan asked with distaste. Eric knew he didn’t care for them because the ones on Earth often perverted God’s word, according to his friend. He couldn’t disagree. They were typically nut jobs.
Sonneri sighed. “They are fanatical dragon worshipers who believe this world rightfully belongs under the rule of dragons. The banishment outraged them and they vowed to release the dragons and seek revenge on not only you four, but Olliana, as well.”
“Perfect,” said Eric wryly.
“So do you think they’re the ones who freed the dragons?” Anna asked.
“Doubtful,” replied Sonneri, puffing his pipe. “They have some wizards among them, but none powerful enough to unweave the spells Soliander wrought.”
“Then who?”
The wizard Matt answered, “We’re hoping you’ll discover this.”
How are we supposed to that? Eric wondered. Unless whoever did it was standing there at this Dragon Gate when they arrived, how would they know? It wasn’t like they even knew anyone here to begin pointing fingers.
“At this time,” the Prime Minister began, “we believe Nir’lion doesn’t know we’re aware of her return, and we intend to keep it that way.”
“Probably wise,” Eric interjected.
“She seems intent on staying out of sight,” the Prime Minister continued, “and if she’s openly discovered, she may hasten the release of the others. We also have an advantage if she doesn’t know we’re prepared. However, a secret of this magnitude is hard to keep, and word has spread across Honyn. Some foolish men have tried to reach Castle Darlonon in a reckless attempt to kill her, but we’ve stopped everyone who’s tried with a force of men guarding the castle road. Doing so is precarious due to the danger of being detected, however, so time is of the essence. Another factor is that other kingdoms have concluded that we’re responsible for her release and are in collusion with the dragons to attack their lands.”
Eric frowned. Another kingdom getting involved only worsened things. “Why would they believe that?”
“Because they are fools,” muttered Sonneri, glaring at the map.
The Prime Minister sighed. “When Olliana last summoned you and you completed the quest on our behalf, great attention and praise were heaped upon us. The stature of Kingdom Alunia rose considerably and we became a more
