He couldn’t believe what had happened. He had watched as Brianna approached the dragon, saw the beast breathe fire that should have consumed her, but she was untouched. It had taken all of Zollin’s force of will not to shield her from the flames. Even though he knew she was somehow immune to fire, it was difficult to watch the flames envelop her. When she hadn’t been harmed by the dragon’s fiery breath, he had let down his guard. The dragon didn’t seem to want her near him, and Zollin assumed she would pull back. Instead, she had healed the beast. Hers were different from Zollin’s own abilities. His power allowed him to do almost anything he could imagine, such as knitting broken bones or reconnecting severed tissue, but Brianna’s power was composed of fire. She couldn’t heal a person, or even most magical creatures, but a creature whose very nature was fire, such as a dragon, she could heal. Their magic was foreign to Zollin and totally unlike his own, but he could sense that Brianna’s magic and that of the dragon were the same. He could only hope that the beast wouldn’t kill her. Either way, nothing would stop him from finding the dragon now.
He stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. Then he wiped away the dusty tears from his face. He needed their supplies and he could ride Lilly, which would make his journey much faster, but he had flown out of the valley he had been in. His inner defenses felt weak, and the center of his magical power was so hot that he was sweating. He scrambled through the darkness, over the rocky terrain, as fast as he could. It took an hour of climbing for him to reach Lilly. The horse neighed when she heard him approaching.
“It’s just me, girl,” he said softly. “Brianna’s gone, but we’re going to find her.”
He rubbed the horse’s forehead, and the mare nuzzled his shoulder. Then he grabbed their packs and laid them across the horse’s withers. He rummaged through one and found something to eat. Then he drained Brianna’s canteen of water. The cool liquid tasted sweet and, even though he was tired, it gave him the energy he needed to press on.
He levitated himself onto Lilly’s back and set out on the dark, winding path that he hoped would lead him to the Great Valley.
Chapter 17
“Sir, there are simply no ships to be found,” said the steward.
King Oveer of Ortis cursed. He was not used to problems. He preferred to stay in his castle where servants and sycophants saw to his every need. His kingdom was run by a small council of nobles, which he oversaw, although he rarely attended that council. He let the tax collectors fill his treasury while he focused on what he found to be most important, making himself happy. And what made Oveer happy was an abundance of nice things. He loved fine clothes, brightly polished armor, and weapons. He also enjoyed fine wine, the best food, and of course, beautiful women. He had a wife, but the Queen’s role was to produce heirs. Unfortunately, she had not succeeded in that one responsibility, and Oveer had long ago lost interest in her. She was sickly, and he was waiting for her to die so that he could marry a new, young queen who would give him children.
The only other thing that really interested Oveer was conquest. He had kept up a constant battle with the Norsikans and was constantly on guard against Shuklan raiders who pillaged along the coast. Of course, the King didn’t actually do any fighting, but he spent a considerable amount of his fortune building his armed forces. When King Belphan of Osla had shared with him the plan to break the peace and invade Yelsia, Oveer had immediately sent word to his commanders to ready the invasion force. Oveer would not fight, of course; that would involve too much risk. But he would lead the army. Few things entertained King Oveer as much as seeing men fight in pitched battle. He sponsored many tournaments, but the controlled chaos of the melee wasn’t nearly as exciting as watching an army at war.
The invasion plan had been simple: the armies of Osla and Falxis would sail up the coast and land on Yelsia’s west coast. King Oveer’s army would sail north from Blue Harbor, across the Sea of Kings, and rendezvous with Baskla’s army to invade Yelsia from the east. Oveer didn’t believe that Yelsia could withstand an invasion, much less fight a war on two fronts, but he had to admit the plan was sound. His job was not just leading the invasion on the eastern front, but also keeping an eye on King Ricard of Baskla. The two northern kingdoms had always been close allies. King Ricard could not deny the rumors of a dragon in Yelsia, which was the pretense of the Council of Kings, nor could he deny the charges of espionage and treason at that council. Still, the Baskla army needed to be held in check with a strong leader, and that was Oveer’s job.
Unfortunately, the plan had not included instructions on what to do if there were no ships to conscript into his service. Ortis had a small navy, but it was located on the eastern coast, too far away to be of any use. The Great Sea of Kings was a massive, freshwater lake surrounded by three of the five kingdoms. Merchant and fishing vessels were the only ships on the Great Sea, but for some reason, there were none in port. Blue Harbor was an important city and one of the major trade ports on the Great Sea, but the local residents said that no ships had been seen in weeks. There were rumors that all the ships, other than small fishing vessels, were at anchor near Lodenhime. It was all very frustrating to Oveer. He was ready, with over half of his army, to sail north and begin the invasion. It was hot in the late summer sun, and he had been looking forward to enjoying the voyage north, where the cool sea breeze would be a nice change from the weeks he spent traveling south to Osla and back for the Council of Kings.
“So what do you suggest?” Oveer demanded. “I need ships, not excuses.”
“Sire, we could send a legion to Lodenhime. I would lead them myself,” said one of Oveer’s generals. His name was Burgon and he was an older man, very practical and efficient in his duties with the army, but completely boring at court.
“Fine, but you do not need a legion. It would take twice as long for that many men to march around to Lodenhime. I want this seen to quickly.”
“I could take a century of heavy horse,” said Burgon. “We could be ready to ride in an hour.”
“Sire, would a hundred men be enough to commandeer the ships we need?” said another of the commanders.
“It should be plenty,” said Oveer.
“But there are rumors of a foul nature,” said the commander. He was short and fat, obviously appointed to his position because of family connections at court. His name was Avery, and the King despised him.
“Don’t trouble us with your craven nature, Avery,” the King said. “Rumors don’t trouble us.”
“But Your Highness, doesn’t the fact that are no ships at Blue Harbor indicate that perhaps the rumors are true?” said Avery.
“Witches, an army of besotted farmers, and what else? Do you think a century of heavy horse could not decimate an army of farmers and merchants? Why do you trouble me with your constant worry, Avery? Go and see to the supplies. Make sure we are ready to board the ships as soon as they arrive in port.”
“Yes, my lord,” said the fat commander, bowing and hurrying from the tent.
“Take your century and ride,” King Oveer commanded. “I will see you back here with enough ships to move the army north in three days. Don’t delay, commander.”
“Yes, sire,” said Burgon. He saluted and then left the tent.
“What of my entertainment?” the King asked.
The steward clapped his hands and a trio of musicians entered the tent, followed by a troupe of dancers, most dressed in silks so sheer that they did little to cover the dancers’ lithe bodies. The King and the remaining army commanders settled in as the entertainment began. There was wine and food served, with servants hurrying to meet the smallest need or want. As the King and his commanders filled the rest of the day with debauchery, Burgon rode south along the coastal road that curved toward Falxis and the sea port at Lodenhime.