Behind them they could hear the sound of the dwarves descending the mountain. The Imperials heard it as well and began shouting orders to form ranks.

"So much for a surprise attack," said Markus. He gave Ethan's arm a fond squeeze. "Thank you, my friend."

"For what?"

"For bringing Markus back to life."

Ethan embraced him in a final farewell.

This done, he turned to Jonas and spread his hands. "We tried."

"You did well," Jonas told him. "I only wish I could have done more to help."

"We all did our best," said Ethan. "It was a pleasure to know you."

Markus slapped his thigh sharply twice. "Enough of this mushy talk. I think it's about time we got on with it."

"Indeed it is," agreed Jonas.

Ethan strode out into the middle of the road and squared his shoulders, sword at the ready. Markus and Jonas took up positions on either side of him.

The advancing soldiers quickly came into view. There was at least a hundred of them, all bearing the raven crest of the Empire. They paused for a second, then seeing only three men standing in their way, burst into harsh laughter.

"This is going to be easier than I thought," called out one of them.

A man with a bright red sash draped over his armor stepped forward. "You wouldn't be Dragonvein by any chance, would you?"

"I am," Ethan replied proudly. "And if you know what's good for you, you'll turn back now."

His words prompted another round of laughter.

"Take the boy alive," ordered the soldier. "Kill the others if they resi..."

A thunderous roar shook the ground, reverberating through the cliff walls as if a great stone bell had been struck. The advancing soldiers instantly halted.

Ethan looked everywhere for the source of the sound, but could see nothing apart from the cliffs and blue skies above. Another roar erupted, this one so deep and booming that he could actually feel it vibrating deep within his chest. He saw one of the soldiers pointing up at the sky behind him, a terrified expression on his face. Before Ethan could turn, a vast shadow blotted out the sun and what felt like a gale force wind threw up swarms of choking dust, forcing him to cover his eyes.

Seconds later, something hit the ground just in front of him, shaking the earth and forcing him to his knees. He was still blinded by dust, but could hear the terrified cries of the soldiers.

"Dragon!" they screamed repeatedly.

Ethan wiped his eyes and blinked hard, finally regaining his vision. It was true. Standing there before him was an enormous dragon, its jet-black scales glistening as if set with highly polished opals. Pure white spikes ran all along its back and right down to the tip of its tail. It was at least fifty feet long and as tall as three large men. Even though it was at present facing the soldiers, Ethan could make out a series of curved horns along both sides of its head.

The soldiers were already running back down the mountain as fast as they could. Ethan got up and offered his hand to Markus and Jonas. But they were unable to move, clearly overwhelmed by the spectacle.

The dragon heaved its ma.s.sive body around to face Ethan. As it turned, its twelve-inch long talons sc.r.a.ped across the stone road, throwing up large hunks of rock. Its eyes were a deep blue, yet reptilian in shape and appearance. Rows of razor sharp teeth peeked out from within its closed maw.

Ethan wanted to speak, but could find no words. Hot breath blasted out from its nostrils, blowing back his hair and scorching his face. It was truly the most magnificent creature he had ever beheld. Even those he had seen in his dreams paled when compared with the majesty of what was now before him.

Ethan could feel the beast peering into him, probing his mind. He felt a desperate need to move closer as its voice called out from the recesses of his soul - from places that, until this very moment, he never even knew existed. His steps were slow and deliberate, each one deepening his connection between them until he could hear the dragon's thoughts clearly. It wasn't words or language not in the way he understood it. It was something far more complex than that. All at once he knew why the dragon had come. He knew what it wanted.

Coward.

The word spoken to him in his dream.

It was not an accusation. It was a question.

"No, I'm not," he whispered. Though he wasn't sure if he had said it, or thought it. But he knew the dragon had heard him.

Ethan reached out his hand and the dragon lowered its head. He placed his palm on the tip of its long, scaly snout. The instant he made contact, a blinding flash of light tore through his mind like a streak of lightning. Faces of men and women - hundreds of them - raced through his head as though frames on a reel. All were unfamiliar, yet somehow he knew they were a part of him. For what seemed like an eternity he stood stricken and paralyzed. Then, as quickly as they came, the faces were gone. He felt his legs giving way and his vision starting to fade.

Then there was nothing but utter blackness.

For a moment Ethan thought he was dreaming. There was the sound of many hushed voices, along with the friendly crackle and pop of a fire. The air was cool and felt nice on his face. The dragon's breath had definitely given him a burn, though how severe it was he couldn't be sure. At the time, he didn't care.

The dragon, he thought, forcing open his eyes. The night sky was a dark canvas showered with tiny jewels. Someone had placed his pack beneath his head and covered him with a blanket. He struggled up onto his elbows, his muscles and joints protesting from lingering fatigue and stiffness.

All around him were dwarves, and the fire he had heard was a few feet to his left. Jonas' sleeping form was directly below his feet near the mouth of the tunnel that led back into the mountain.

"Good. You're up."

Markus plopped down beside him and slapped him fondly on the shoulder.

"What happened?" asked Ethan. "How did I get here?"

His friend stared at him in disbelief. "Don't tell me you can't remember."

Ethan tried to piece events together. The last thing he recalled was touching the dragon and the barrage of strange faces. After that, there was nothing.

"Did I pa.s.s out?" he asked. "I remember touching the dragon then...well...I woke up here."

Markus gawked at him for a moment, then laughed so hard he fell over backwards. Wiping his eyes, he propped himself back up and said: "You really don't remember?"

Ethan shook his head.

"Well, old buddy. I can promise you that no one will ever question again whether or not you're a mage. That much is certain. When you touched that b.l.o.o.d.y dragon, you collapsed like a sack of potatoes. I thought the d.a.m.n thing must have killed you. Then it jumped twenty feet in the air and flew off. All I could do was watch until it was out of sight. After that I went to check on you, but you were already on your feet."

Ethan c.o.c.ked his head. "I got up?"

Markus nodded. "Oh yes. You got up all right. You looked over at me and Jonas with this strange little smile on your face. It was like you knew something that we didn't. Then...well...it's hard to describe what happened next."

"Tell me," pressed Ethan.

"You turned away and...I can't believe I'm saying this...but it looked like you flew. What I mean is your feet...they never touched the ground. You were gone before I could even blink."

"Gone where?"

"After those soldiers. The only way I knew that, was by the trail of dust you left behind. I've never seen anything move so fast. Me and Jonas took off after you, but by the time we got there you were almost done with them."

"Done with them how?" Ethan was almost afraid to hear what Markus would say next.

"You killed every single one of them. And I don't mean that you just killed them. You roasted them alive. They had only made it a half mile down the mountain when you caught up with them. By the time we got there, most were already dead. The few still alive were screaming b.l.o.o.d.y murder while you threw what looked like spears at them. Only these things were made of fire. Each time one hit a soldier, his entire body lit up. When it was over, there was nothing left but smoldering corpses all over the place. Jonas actually laughed out loud and clapped his hands. He looked like a kid on Christmas morning. Anyway, a few seconds after doing all that, you collapsed again."

Ethan was horrified. Had he really burned a hundred men to death? The idea made him grateful that it was gone from his memory. Though soldiers of the Empire were without a doubt his enemy, what Markus described was gruesome beyond imagining.

"Yeah," said Markus, as if hearing his thoughts. "I wouldn't want to remember that either. But something tells me it wasn't really you. When you looked at me, it was like someone else was seeing me through your eyes. I mean, you were you. But not you. Does that make sense?"

Ethan shook his head, though Markus' account did help a bit. Perhaps the dragon had somehow possessed him? He pushed it from his mind for the time being.

"And the dwarves?" he asked.

"You don't have to worry about them anymore. After what they witnessed, they think you're their savior and to blazes with what the king says. Right now a group of them is disposing of the bodies at the foot of the mountain."

Markus' eyes shifted to just beyond Ethan's feet. "Jonas over here finally gave out. I guess that last sip of dwarf potion did him in. He fell asleep about two hours ago and hasn't moved a muscle since. Birger said that if he doesn't wake up by morning they'll have to carry him."

Ethan was relieved to hear that Birger was safe. "Where is he?"

"Helping with the bodies. He'll be back soon."

Ethan's head was spinning. He knew Markus was telling him the truth, but his mind simply couldn't take in the enormity of it all. He rested back down on his pack and closed his eyes.

"Are you all right?" his friend asked, sudden concern in his voice.

He nodded without opening his eyes. "I think I just need to sleep a bit more."

Markus gave his arm a squeeze "You do that. Take as long as you want. I don't reckon the dwarves will be going anywhere without you."

Chapter Twenty-Two.

We're here. We're waiting.

"Where are you?" cried Ethan. A dense fog surrounded him and the stench of scorched earth was burning his nostrils. "I can't see you. Help me."

Come to us. We have waited so long. We need you.

"I don't know where you are."

Time is running out. He knows you are here. He will move against you. You must come soon.

The fog lifted and he found himself atop a gra.s.sy hill overlooking a vast plain. Flying high above were six dragons. Two were black, one crimson, one blue, and two pure white. They circled for a few moments, then went into an almost vertical dive. Their beastly roars shook the ground and forced the breath from Ethan's lungs. When all six were only a few feet from impact, they exploded in a h.e.l.lish fireball.

Ethan sat up gasping, drenched in sweat, heart thudding in his chest.

The sun was not yet cresting the horizon, but the orange and purple sky stated that it would be appearing very soon. The dwarves were gathered in several small groups near the tunnel entrance, speaking in hushed whispers and stealing glances at him.

"That must have been quite a nightmare," said Markus. He was sitting nearby, alongside the smoldering ashes of the fire.

"It was," Ethan said. "Or I think it was. I didn't really understand what it was about." He knew the voice in his dream was that of a dragon, but the rest was chaotic and confusing.

"After everything you've been through, I'm not surprised you're having bad dreams."

"And there is more to come," added a different voice.

It was Birger. The dwarf took a seat beside Markus and stared at Ethan. There was a bandage wrapped around his head.

"What happened to you?" Ethan asked.

Birger smiled. "My kinsmen weren't exactly happy to see me. It got a bit rough. But there's nothing to worry about now."

"So they've really changed their minds about me?"

"After what you did, even King Halvar will be forced to admit he was wrong."

"a.s.suming he doesn't kill me when I return."

Birger sn.i.g.g.e.red. "He wouldn't dare. Besides, you now have quite a few dwarves willing to protect you. Even if he was foolish enough to try, they wouldn't allow it."

This gave Ethan a good degree of comfort. Though he wasn't actually looking forward to seeing the king again, at least this time he wouldn't be defenseless something he had felt all too often since arriving in Lumnia.

It wasn't long before the dwarves began to grow restless. They wanted to be off as soon as possible, but none appeared willing to say anything directly to Ethan. From the snippets of conversation he could hear, they were uncomfortable about being exposed and in the open. Most of them had only been outside the mountain a few times in their life, and then only briefly. The brighter the morning became, the more agitated they grew.

"I suppose someone will have to carry Jonas," Ethan eventually announced.

Two young dwarves stepped forward and bowed low.

"We will carry him, Lord Dragonvein," said a young dwarf with a short blond beard.

Apparently, in antic.i.p.ation of this possibility, they had already weaved a makeshift net from some rope. It was looped on each end and long enough for Jonas to fit in the middle. Within moments he was swinging limply between the two volunteers, who easily bore his weight.

"Not exactly a feather bed," laughed Markus.

"He'll live," chuckled Birger.

At a normal pace, the journey back to Elyfoss would take almost twice as long as their flight out. Jonas awoke the next day, embarra.s.sed and sore. It didn't help his mood when both Markus and Birger teased him relentlessly about being carried along: "like an old sack of turnips".

Ethan's dreams were becoming ever more confusing and surreal. He could feel the dragons reaching out for him. And even though his actions after touching the creature were hidden from his memory, the events leading up to it were becoming clearer.

The old dragon who had saved them had not wanted to reveal itself. But it could not allow Ethan to be taken to Shinzan. It had been watching him from afar through the eyes of the tiny dragon he had first encountered. But something had happened. At first only the sorrow returned after recalling the moment when Hronso cornered him in the forest. But then the truth washed over him like a ma.s.sive wave. The creature had sacrificed its life for him. It had destroyed itself to unlock Ethan's dormant abilities. That was how he had driven Hronso away. Through the death of a dragon.

After this revelation, he wept for more than an hour. The dwarves looked at him with concern and confusion. Markus did his best to console him after he'd explained what was wrong.