“There is no hint of fresh kill to guide us,” Sir Devin said.
Palin sniffed the air. “No, my liege. In fact, the air is very clean, but I am sure his bed must be right in front of us. I see flashes of light.”
Palin stooped over a pile of gems and swung a pair of saddlebags to the ground. “All is not lost. We have the treasure.”
Devin knelt and scooped up a handful of glittering stones. “It is much smaller than Goliath’s.” He grinned at Palin. “May his dragon soul rest in peace.”
Palin opened the saddlebags. “It was so kind of him to designate us as heirs to his fortune.”
Devin let the gems spill back to the ground. “Split it up in my presence and reserve the proper portions for God and for the king.”
“Of course, my liege.” Palin deposited the stones into the saddlebags piece by piece, cycling through the bags to make an even disbursement. “You are most gracious to give equal shares to us all, even though the others wait outside in fear.”
Devin held his torch close to the ground and surveyed the cave floor. “What does the census say now?”
The squire pulled a scrap of parchment from his tunic and studied it for a moment before looking up again. “After your valiant conquest of Maven last week, and your extraordinary slaying of Goliath this morning, I know of only ten remaining. The Demon Witch, Hartanna, is next. She will pay for wounding you.”
“All in good time, my friend.” He stalked across the floor, kicking the pebbles in front of him. “By our count, only ten of the devils are left, and now that the king knows of Merlin’s conspiracy with them, I shall have the old wizard’s head by noon tomorrow.”
“What if Morgan is right? What will you do if the king betrays you and sides with Merlin?”
“Then we will proceed with Morgan’s rebellion plan. I don’t like the idea of the unusual marriage arrangement she proposed, but having that kind of power would be worth putting up with her.” After sweeping more rocks to the side, Devin stopped suddenly and stooped close to a flat rock near the wall. “Palin, what is this?”
“Where, my liege?”
“This glowing pebble.” Devin picked up the stone by its attached string. As the surrounding light grew dim, he drew the stone closer to his face.
“Our torches are going out,” Palin said.
“No. The flame lives; only the light dies. It is drawn to this gem.”
Devin closed his hand over the stone. Instantly, the light from the flames scattered throughout the cave. “I have heard legends about such a gem, but why would it be here, in a dragon’s lair?”
“What have you heard about it?”
“An ancestor of mine told a story of Nimrod, the king of Shinar, and how he used a light-absorbing gem as a weapon against dragons.”
“A weapon? How?”
Devin slipped the gem into his vest. “I’m not sure, but I intend to find out.”
Clefspeare circled over Bald Top, casting a shadow over a pod of dragons milling about on the summit. As the dragon flew lower, Merlin gestured toward the rear. “Your Majesty, prepare to slide down. Remember, find the clearing and watch the proceedings from the woods. The dragons will not sense you because you pose no danger, but until all is complete, it is best if you stay in hiding.”
The king nodded. “Agreed.”
“He’s slowing down over a clear spot. Go!”
Arthur slid across the scaly hindquarters, then dropped and rolled in the soft turf. Clefspeare rose over the tree-filled mountain and hurried toward the summit’s clearing.
Before descending, Merlin caught a glimpse of Arthur hiding behind a tree a few yards inside the edge of the woods, far enough away to stay out of sight, yet close enough to see the dragons and hear their booming voices.
As Clefspeare settled to the ground, he beat his wings rapidly and lowered his head. Still carrying his bag, Merlin descended the ridges and jumped to the grass. After letting the bag drop, he counted the dragons in attendance, three males, reddish and standing tall, and nine females, smaller and tawny in color.
One of the females stepped forward. “Master Merlin, all are present, as you requested.”
Merlin bowed. “Thank you, Hartanna. You have been a great help. And are all in agreement?”
“Yes. We have discussed the final preparations, and we are ready.” Hartanna shifted her body toward Clefspeare. “Has Master Merlin prepared you?”
Clefspeare bowed his head. “Yes, Hartanna. Diving into the human condition is an adventure that none of us covets, but we dragons do what we must do.”
“Well said.” Hartanna touched Merlin’s shoulder with the tip of her wing. “We await your instructions.”
From his deep pocket, Merlin pulled out a skin flask and placed it in the middle of the semicircle of dragons. Then, standing in front of the solemn assembly, he called out, “The flask contains only wine, but those who drink it in faith will receive what God has promised. All who have their hearts prepared will be transformed, and when the fullness of the time has come, you will be restored to your desired state. The slayers will eventually die out. Once they believe that dragons have become extinct, they will no longer train to battle your kind, and the poisoned hunger for dragon killing will cease to exist. When you return, there will be no fallen dragons to make the people fear you again.”
Hartanna stepped forward. “Then let us proceed. I volunteer to go first.”
“No one will change until all have tasted,” Merlin warned. “Otherwise, faith would be made sight before its time.”
Merlin picked up the wineskin and lifted it toward the sky. “Heavenly Father, King of the Universe, bless this wine. Fill it now with the seed of Adam so that these will bear his likeness, both in his glory as the image of God and in his shame as reflections of a fallen race. They understand that the benefit of your presence will depart from them as they share in the human curse. They also understand that should they fall after the likeness of Adam’s sin, they must find their salvation through the Light of the World.”
Extending the flask in front, Merlin walked toward the line of dragons. Hartanna lowered her head and opened her great mouth. Merlin raised the opening of the skin over her teeth and tipped it forward. At first it came out too quickly, spilling a bit over her jaws, but he pulled back before he lost too much.
Hartanna lifted her head and swallowed with a loud gulp. “Be brave, my friends. The wine goes down without harm.”
One by one, Merlin gave the drink to the dragons. A few seemed tentative, but they took it without much hesitation. When he came to Clefspeare, the last in line, the great red dragon bowed his head. “I look forward to shaking your hand.”
Merlin bowed in return. “And I, yours.”
Clefspeare followed the ritual, and after he swallowed, the twelve waited in silence. For the first torturous minute, nothing happened. Merlin took a seat on the ground, while the dragons gathered in a circle.
Several more minutes passed. A few dragons lowered their hefty bodies to the cool grass. Hartanna and Thigocia whispered to one another while Valcor and Legossi tested their wings. Merlin crossed his legs and bowed his head in prayer.
After what seemed to be an hour, one of the dragons broke the silence. “He’s a fraud!”
Merlin looked up. A male dragon backed away from the rest of the council, his head low.
Hartanna beat her wings against the ground. “What did you say?”
“He’s a fraud! Merlin has made fools of us all. There was a second man riding on Clefspeare’s back. I saw him. He must be a slayer, and he will bring the others while we wait for this traitor’s potion to fail.”
Hartanna roared. “Silence, Gartrand! Will you destroy the faith of the others with your own infidelity?”