Eric smirked. “That should be an interesting conversation.”
She smiled. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
That would be a lot easier if he knew more about this world. He would need to think quickly. And he wondered why she thought it was all on him. Should he take it as a compliment? “What then? We admit to the guy that you’re a dragon?”
“Yes, once we convince him we’re no threat. I hope that you and I can arrange for him to keep my brother under guard and to ease the town’s fears so that I retake my true form outside without causing a panic. I can fly back to the cave, and take my brother back to town, no one afraid of my return.”
“What about if he awakens and regains magic?”
“The town should have wizards. Everywhere does. Magic is common here. Hopefully, they will subdue him. Several wizards working together could handle him. We will have to ask these questions.”
Eric thought was a good idea so far, assuming it went according to plan. “What then? Can you carry all four of us to Ortham?”
“Yes, but two of you would not be in a saddle. You would need to choose one other who handled it as gracefully as yourself.”
Eric started laughing and Jolian smiled. “Oh no, I’m not making that decision. We’ll let them choose. Anyway, how long do you think it will take to do this whole thing with Brazin and be on our way?”
“Hours. I know we must move quickly.”
“Can you hear me well enough while we fly? I must ask you something.”
“Yes. Let us proceed.”
Jolian stepped away from him and Eric made sure to not get slapped by a suddenly appearing dragon wing as she transformed, both the process and the result once again filling him with awe. She was always more massive than he remembered. That so much bulk could be reduced and then expanded like that made him assume magic made it possible. He wondered if a dragon ever spontaneously returned to their true form unexpectedly. That could be interesting.
He tucked Novir’s sword into his belt in case they needed it, since the current plan meant Jolian and him walking into a town, and she might need a weapon that would not reveal her nature. Then he climbed up one offered wing to her back and felt more relaxed this time as she stepped toward Brazin, gently folding a front foot around him. She took to the sky with powerful strokes. Eric hoped the others were safe outside the Kirii Cave entrance, but Ryan and Matt were good enough at their new roles by now, he thought, that he wasn’t too worried. They could fend off whatever came for them. Hopefully, they hadn’t eaten any of the food, which they could replace in Valegis.
“What is your question?” Jolian asked, her voice rumbling like thunder.
Eric looked out over the forest-covered mountains as they soared between the peaks. He hadn’t exactly been paying attention earlier. “After Novir’s actions, I am not sure who to trust.”
“I am also questioning what we thought to be true.”
“Is there any part of the story that you are certain about? Like these Lords of Fear? Or even the Orbs Dominion? Do they exist?”
“Yes, the lords are well known. Whether they are involved or not, I do not know. Preparing to face such dangerous people will have us prepared for many lesser threats. And the orbs are legendary. Enough people saw an item matching the description, both in Hamarven and Minari, that I do not disbelieve this. I am more concerned about the destination.”
“Ortham?”
“Yes. It seems unlikely that Novir would lead us to where the orb is truly headed.”
She was right. Only a fool would have done so. Still, Novir had to make the orb’s destination plausible. He said as much and asked, “Where might they be going that is in the same direction? And is there any proof that they are headed this way?”
“From what I learned, all proof about the orb’s location was from reports they came to Novir. There is no way of knowing what they truly contained, and we must assume that they were not entirely accurate.”
“Great. So he could have lied.”
“Yes, but this may be another reason to visit the town. They are presumably not under his influence of that of the orb, which would not have come this way. Perhaps they are aware of its movement. I heard nothing that led me to believe the orb is not headed north, so it may be headed this way, just not to Ortham.”
“It’s a long shot, but we will ask the town, assuming they cooperate.”
“Yes. As for other destinations, I know of nothing as plausible as the portal at Ortham. Novir did not strike me as a clever man, and he may not have thought of a compelling lie.”
“Maybe he expected that leviathan or the cave-in to stop us.”
“Unlikely, given your reputations and my presence. It seems clear that he wanted Brazin and Sebast alone, as it was his idea that I accompany you to the save, which made it easier to defeat the leviathan.”
“Do you think he just wanted to injure or delay us? He seemed in a hurry to flee.”
“Possibly. I noticed his haste, but I thought it was fear. Perhaps not.”
“Maybe the Lords of Fear don’t know we’re coming, and he hoped to warn them. He knew our plans at least.”
“This is likely.”
“Do you think we can trust Denir?”
“I think so, but perhaps he is compromised. Let us get to the town and see what they know. From there we visit Ortham and possibly gather more information along the way.”
Eric sighed. It was as good a plan as any. He and the others were bound to the quest, and if the orb was going in a completely different direction, they
