Guards Vestige Read online

  Marcus ducked behind his shield but he wasn’t able to evade the heat. He felt his skin bubble on his face and he cried out in pain until the flames subsided and he knelt on the broiling stone. He was crippled, unable to move, his body charred where the leather didn’t protect him and cooked and boiled where it did. The breeze that passed over the coastline was torture against his skin. The courtyard had been filled with Dragon Guards and forces of the Left Hand. Now Marcus could barely see anything more than discolored blurs in front of him.

  When his vision cleared, he looked around the wall and could no longer see Samuel or his rangers. He had no idea where they had gone. When he looked over the edge of the wall, he saw nothing but a sea of ash. The High Dragon’s neck flared a second time as he prepared to wash the battlefield across the wall with fire.

  Then something broke through the clouds above Marcus. The hulking, red form of Belladux barreled through the air and collided with Cadent. The white dragon released his flames harmlessly into the air as Belladux dragged him clear of the castle. Both roared furiously until they crashed into the ocean, sending towering waves onto the shoreline and washing away countless Dragon Guards and Disciples.

  The two titans thrashed against one another as they rolled in the depths and breached the surface again and again. Belladux finally threw Cadent off and settled just off shore. Both stood and stared at one another, Cadent partially submerged in the deeper water. Belladux was half again larger than Cadent and where the latter was thin and slender, Belladux was wide and muscular. His primary scales were a deep scarlet; his secondary scales faded to a light gold. His coloration mixed with the water below him made it appear as if he stood in a pool of liquid fire. They stood nearly a hundred feet apart and waited for the other to make the first move.

  It was Cadent who chose to speak first. His voice was smoother than Marcus would have thought: “It has been far too long, brother.”

  Belladux’s voice thundered across the water making it ripple as he snapped his response: “Do not call me that! You lost that right when you started twisting humanity into puppets.”

  Cadent gestured to the army gathered on shore: “Puppets? If anything, I have cut their strings. Freed them from an authority that hides the truth from their eyes.”

  “The only thing you have done is place them in shackles and chains! You are deceived by shadows.”

  “The only shadows in our world are the ones cast by the false stories and teachings you spread. I have freed them from their lives as slaves and brought them out of bondage to serve the one true ruler of creation.”

  “This bondage you claim to have seen is nothing more than an illusion made by your own arrogance and lies fed to you to fuel it.”

  “The only illusions I remember,” Cadent spit out, “were those shown to us at the start of our lives, and the lies told to us to ensure our obedience. I will stand for no such deceit and will see all life freed from the false light with the revelation of truth, with freedom.”

  Belladux lowered his head again. “What you claim is freedom is slavery. All the ‘truths’ you tell are lies.” He took a step forward, making waves in the water. “I had hoped you would see the failings of your actions, but I see Lestice was right. You are blinded by pride and a desire for what was never yours.”

  Cadent was shouting furiously now. “What I want is what I earned—a place befitting the power I wield and deeds I have performed, a throne worthy of my stature in the halls of godhood alongside the true power of our world as his right hand.”

  “Enough!” Belladux’s voice boomed with authority only Verhova could match, making even Cadent take a step back. “I see now that in spite of your title you lack wisdom. Reason is lost on you.”

  Cadent sighed and seemed to calm himself. “If you will not see the truth of my words, then so be it. You will fall into his shadow. Come, brother.”

  The two titanic dragons stared at each other for only a moment longer before charging toward one another, causing the surface of the water to crash and part before them. When the two collided, they were engulfed in their own fire.

  Chapter One

  4th of Horace, 26th year of the Fourth Age

  “I just can’t figure out how to ask her without it turning into an argument again.”

  “So you don’t think she’s changed her mind?”

  “No, I don’t. But I’m going to ask anyway. I’m running out of time.”

  Daniel Summers and Connie May sat on the bank of the Arrow, a river less than a five-minute walk from Sapella’s Crossing. The river ran from a spring in the mountains all the way to Quiver Lake at the center of Edaren. Daniel picked up a pebble next to him and tossed it in. He watched the ripples spread along the water until they lapped against grass-covered banks. He glanced at Connie, who sat next to him with a hint of a smile on her face. She was as tall as he, just less than six feet. Her obsidian hair lay over one shoulder. She brushed bangs away from ocean-colored eyes as she watched the river gently flow by.

  This was one of the few sections of the Arrow calm enough to swim in, though the autumn cold made that an absurd thing to consider at the moment. Farther down the river was a pair of waterfalls that flowed into dangerous rapids that, if you weren’t careful, would take you all the way down to the lake far beyond the forest.

  Connie sighed and picked at the grass. “It didn’t go well last time, did it?”

  He threw another pebble. “It went about as well as the time before that, and the time before that. Almost feels like there’s a pattern forming.”

  She shrugged. “Have you ever thought of just, you know . . . leaving anyway?”

  “You know I couldn’t do that to her.”

  “It’s just a thought. This is your only chance, after all. You’ll be too old by the time they’re recruiting again.”

  He knew she was right. The Dragon Guard had begun recruiting at the start of the year, something they did only every five years. Those between the ages of thirteen and nineteen were eligible as long as they made it to Vigil before winter and the start of the New Year. Daniel had turned sixteen four months ago, so this was his first and only chance to join. He had tried to talk his mother into letting him go at the beginning of the year. She hadn’t even stopped to consider it.

  Daniel had made more attempts several more times since, without success. Now winter was fast approaching. He had only two months to make the journey, and on foot it would take all of that. Connie had offered to lend him her horse several times and he had declined several times. But Connie was used to getting her own way. He had finally given in to the idea.

  Connie gently poked him. “Do you want me to talk to your mother? Maybe she’ll listen to me.”

  “You’re more than welcome to try, but I don’t think it will do any good.”

  They sat quietly for a while and watched the river flow by. Daniel knew Connie hated prolonged silences so he wasn’t surprised when she broke this one. “Have you got your route planned out? Like where you’ll stay or camp, and which roads to take?”

  “Most of the farms along the way are rumored to take in travelers for a night. Even if that doesn’t work out, I’m fine with camping. There’s a cross castle between here and Grey Gate where I can resupply and stay, but once I’m on the other side of the Spines I’ll mostly be in the forest on my own. If I’m lucky I’ll find a trader traveling the same way, safety in numbers right?”

  Connie sighed. “You know it won’t be the same here without you.”

  His face flushed. “We don’t even know if I’ll be able to go yet.”

  She nudged him with her elbow. “You will. I’ve got a good feeling about today.”

  He smiled shyly. “Don’t, uh, don’t you have to go help your father with some of the new foals before it gets any later?”

  “If I said no, would you still make me leave?”

 
“Yes.”

  “What if I said maybe?”

  “You better get going.”

  “Right.” She stood and slipped on her boots and leaned in and kissing him on the cheek making his face flush even darker, before quickly making her way downstream towards the narrow bridge. He watched her long hair sway behind her and thought about how long they’d known each other, and how much they cared for one another. They had plans for their future, most of them revolving around Daniel’s eventual move to Vigil. She supported his dream like no one else did; he felt indebted to her every day because of it.

  Daniel sat by the water a little longer before standing and putting his own boots back on. He grabbed a handful of pebbles from beneath the water and began walking downstream, absentmindedly tossing them into the river as he went.

  He crossed the rickety wooden bridge, stepping over missing sections of wood, and made his way down the winding forest path, taking in his surroundings as he had thousands of times before. The dirt path was wide and made its way through tall pine trees and thick undergrowth. Just past the trees, the view included the shapes of farmhouses that sat outside the edge of town where the forest had been logged away for the sake of open fields for crops and pastures for livestock.

  After a short walk, the trees receded and the dirt path gave way to smooth cobblestone, marking the beginning of Sapella’s Crossing. Daniel passed homes and a few people who greeted him with a smile, a wave, or a nod. As he neared the center of town, the homes gave way to storefronts, the occasional inn, and many bars. Posts lined the streets with sconces at their tops that would be lit by the town militia at nightfall.

  From the corner of his eye, Daniel noticed movement on his right. A woman with short, greying hair was waving him over. “Mr. Summers!” she called. “Get in here!” She turned and disappeared inside the store.

  Curious, he followed her into the small building. The inside was filled with jewelry and small metal figurines tucked into glass cases and lined up neatly on shelves.

  He called out to the door behind the main counter: “Ms. Nilia?”

  Evelyn Nilia stepped out with a wide smile spread across her face. “Mr. Summers! It’s finished. I was just putting the chain on.”

  She walked up to him and handed him a pendent, a silver mayflower with a small sapphire at the center hanging from a thin, silver chain.

  He was breathless for a moment. “It’s beautiful,” he whispered.

  “I’m sorry it took me so long. I wanted to make sure it was absolutely perfect.”

  “It’s incredible. The detail is amazing. I can see why it took you as long as it did.”

  “Well, as I said, I wanted it to be perfect.”

  “Thank you so much,” Daniel said. “But this is worth so much more than I paid. The sapphire alone . . . ”

  She smiled. “You paid for a necklace, I made you a necklace. Don’t worry about what’s on it.”

  “It’s just . . . this must have been expensive. Are you sure?”

  “If it makes you feel any better, think of it as a gift.”

  He laughed. “It doesn’t, but thank you. Really, I don’t think I can ever repay you for this.”

  She clasped her hands in front of her. “Well, it looked like you were going somewhere before I distracted you, so off you go. I don’t want to keep you any longer.”

  With that, she pushed him out the door and onto the street. He smiled and stuffed the necklace into his pocket before starting back down the road. Just past the shop was an open stone courtyard with an ornate fountain in the middle. The rim was adorned with carvings of ancient dragons in flight over a range of mountains. The spout itself was a statue of a slender dragon with scales speckled with gold flakes. The statue sparkled in the sunlight as it shot water into the air while perched atop a sword pommel. The blade was wide and exaggerated in size and took the place of the podium in the center of the water. The fountain was extravagant but beautiful nonetheless, and served as a visual reminder of the legend of the town’s founding.

  According to the story, an old Dragon Guard warden had come to the area when she heard of a dragon terrorizing the countryside and farmlands. When she arrived, she found the dragon attacking a farm and fought a terrible battle with the beast. During their conflict, the dragon burned away a section of the forest next to the river. When the Dragon Guard finally felled the foul creature, it crashed into the water, while the woman died from her wounds in the new clearing. The fountain now sat on the site of that supposed clearing as a memorial to the brave woman. It was an interesting story. Daniel always wondered how much of it, if any, was true.

  He watched a group of children play in the fountain while parents sat and observed from a distance. On the far side of the fountain, a woman stood with her eyes closed and her hands clutched to her chest. She muttered something before tossing in a silver mark and watching it sink to the bottom. Daniel walked around the fountain before turning to his right and making his way down a narrow alley that opened onto another main road. At the far side of town, he entered another residential area before stopping in front of a small, single-story home. He made his way up crooked, weak wooden stairs to the door.

  Rusty hinges screamed when he opened the door and stepped inside. The house was sparse and simply furnished. A small stone fireplace surrounded by mismatched and poorly made chairs was set in the far wall. On the other side of the room, a doorway led to a small kitchen. Next to that was another was a hallway connecting two bedrooms and a water closet.

  “Mom?” Daniel called. “Are you home?”

  His mother came out of the hallway, her face and clothing dotted with flour. She brushed a lock of gold hair behind her ear, revealing a large spot of flour over one of her pine-green eyes. “Hi, honey,” she said. “Did you enjoy your walk with Constance?”

  “Yeah, it was fine.” He pointed at her face. “What happened to you?”

  She shrugged. “I dropped a bag at the bakery. You should have seen it. Covered everything and took most of the afternoon to clean. Came back to grab a change of clothes. So where’d you two go?”

  “Just down to the river. She had to leave to help her father with something before dark.” Daniel took a deep breath. “There’s something I wanted to ask you.”

  She frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to ask you again . . . about going to Vigil.”

  His mother’s face fell. She shook her head. “No.”

  “Mom, just hear me out.” She started to turn away, but he grabbed her shoulder. “Just listen. Please.”

  “No. I need you here.”

  “Why can’t we just talk about this?”

  “There isn’t anything for us to talk about.” She pulled away and walked toward the hallway.

  “Why are you so against this?” Daniel said. “I’m not like Dad. I’m not just running off for no good reason.”

  She stopped in front of her bedroom doorway and turned to look at him. A twinge of sadness crossed her face, then her eyebrows knotted. “I said no. That’s final!”

  “You need to talk to me about this. You can’t just shut me out every time I bring this up!”

  “I said no. We aren’t going to talk about this and you aren’t going anywhere.” His mother turned, stormed into her room, and slammed the door.

  Daniel ran his fingers through his shaggy, copper-brown hair and sighed. He hadn’t wanted to fight with her again but it always seemed to turn that way. Inevitably, she would walk away from the conversation and he would stand there frustrated. He shouldn’t have mentioned his father. That had been the tipping point where it went from conversation to argument, like every other attempt when he’d brought him up. He walked to her door and lifted his hand to knock, but hesitated. Trying to talk to her now wouldn’t do any good. He turned and walked into the room he shared with his brother at
the other end of the hall. Daniel fell onto his bed with a sigh. Several strands of straw jabbed him through the thin linen.

  The room was small. Two beds sat against opposite walls with a window and single nightstand between them. A simple dresser was positioned at the foot of each bed, both of which were basically empty. Daniel lay there a moment before rolling over and opening the only drawer in the nightstand. He placed the silver necklace inside and grabbed a thin, leather-bound book titled Hidden Efforts: A Recount of History. He flipped through a few pages, pausing occasionally to read a line. It wasn’t an old book, but Daniel had handled it so often that the parchment was torn and faded, and the leather binding was discolored where he’d placed his hands over the years.

  The book contained short stories about various Dragon Guards and their adventures. One was about a woman saving the city of Dawnstone from a cultist manipulating the citizens’ king when it was still the capital of Prect. Another was about a man finding monsters in Wolves Wood and sparing them in the end after learning more about them. The story he enjoyed the most was about the Dragon Guard being infiltrated by a group of cultists and a civil war that broke out in Vigil. A coup was thwarted by a servant girl acting as a spy within the cult, allowing her to destroy it from the inside. What he liked most about the book was the style—it was written in a series of journal entries. It made the stories seem almost real.

  The door suddenly opened and Daniel’s brother, Jeremy, entered the room. He was short and stocky for an eight-year-old. His hair and emerald-green eyes mirrored Daniel’s own, though Jeremy’s hair was far more unruly at the moment.

  “Daniel!” Jeremy flashed a smile that quickly faded when he saw Daniel holding the book. “What’s wrong? Did you and Mom fight?”

  Daniel rubbed his temples as he spoke. “How could you tell?”

  “You always read that book after you two fight,” Jeremey said. “She still doesn’t want you to leave?”

  “No, she doesn’t.”