Margaret Weis - Dragon Wing

“The dragon thinks that it is back in its home, its ancient home—a world only it can remember. Right now it sees earth below and sky above, water in the center, and the sun’s fire giving life to all.”

“How long will the enchantment last? Forever?”

“Nothing lasts forever. A day, two days, a month, perhaps. It will blink, and all will be gone and it will see only the havoc that it wreaked. By that time, perhaps, its anger and pain will have subsided. Now, at least, it is at peace.”

Iridal gazed in awe at the dragon, whose giant head was swaying back and forth, as if it heard a soothing, lulling voice.

“You’ve imprisoned it in its mind,” she said.

“Yes,” Alfred agreed. “The strongest cage ever built.”

“And I am free,” she said in wonder. “And it isn’t too late. There is hope! Bane, my son! Bane!”

Iridal ran toward the door where she’d last seen him. The door was gone. The walls of her prison had collapsed, but the rubble blocked her path.

“Mother! I am your son! I—”

Bane tried to cry out again to her, but a sob welled up in his throat, shutting it off. He couldn’t see her; the falling stone blocked his view. The dog, barking frantically, ran around him in circles, nipping at his heels, trying to herd him away. The dragon gave a dreadful shriek and, terrified, Bane turned and ran. Halfway to the door, he nearly fell over Sinistrad’s body.

“Father?” Bane whispered, reaching out a trembling hand. “Father, I’m sorry . . .”

The dead eyes stared at him, unseeing, uncaring.

Bane stumbled back and tripped over Hugh—the assassin paid to kill him, who had died to give him life.

“I’m sorry!” The child wept. “I’m sorry! Don’t leave me alone! Please! Don’t leave me alone!”

Strong hands—with blue sigla tattooed on the backs—caught hold of Bane and lifted him up out of the wreckage. Carrying him to the doorway, Haplo set the stunned and shaken boy on his feet next to the Geg.

“Both of you, keep near me,” the Patryn ordered.

He lifted his hands, crossed his arms. Fiery runes began to burn in the air, one appearing after another. Each touched, yet never overlapped. They formed a circle of flame that completely encompassed the three of them, blinded them with its brilliance, yet did not harm them.

“Here, dog.” Haplo whistled. The dog, grinning, leapt lightly through the fire and came to stand at his side. “We’re going home.”

“And so, Lord of the Nexus, that’s the last I saw of the Sartan. I know you’re disappointed, perhaps even angry, that I didn’t bring him back. But I knew Alfred would never allow me to take the boy or the Geg, and as he said himself, I could not risk fighting him. It seemed to me to be a splendid irony that he should be the one to cover my escape. Alfred will come to us of his own accord, my lord. He can’t help himself, now that he knows Death Gate swings open.

“Yes, my lord, you are correct. He has another incentive—his search for the child. Alfred knows I took the boy. I heard, before I left Drevlin, that the Sartan and the boy’s mother, Iridal, had joined together to look for her son.

“As for the boy, I think you’ll be pleased with Bane, my lord. There is potential in him. Naturally, he was shaken by what happened in the castle at the last—the death of his father, the horror of the dragon. It’s made him thoughtful, so if you find him quiet and subdued, be patient with him. He is an intelligent boy and will soon learn to honor you, lord, as we all do.

“And now, to finish my story. When I left the castle, I took the boy and the Geg with me to the elven ship. Here we discovered that the elf captain and his crew were being held prisoners by the mysteriarchs. I made a deal with Bothar’el. In return for his freedom, he would take us back to Drevlin. Once there, he would hand over his ship to me.

“Bothar’el had little choice but to agree. He either accepted my terms or met death at the hands of the wizards—the mysteriarchs are powerful and desperate to escape their dying realm. I was, of course, forced to use my magic to free us. We could not have fought them successfully otherwise. But I was able to work my magic without the elves seeing me, they didn’t notice the runes. In fact, they now believe that I’m one of the mysteriarchs myself. I didn’t disillusion them.

“The assassin was correct in his estimation of the elves, my lord. You will find that they are people of honor, as are the humans in their own curious way. As he had agreed, Bothar’el flew us to the Low Realm. The Geg, Limbeck, was greeted by his people as a hero. He is High Froman of Drevlin now. His first act was to launch an attack against an elven ship attempting to dock and take on water. In this, he was helped by Captain Bothar’el and his crew. A combined force of elves and dwarves attacked the ship and, singing that strange song I told you about, they managed to convert all the elves on it. Bothar’el told me before he left that he intended to take the ship to this Prince Reesh’ahn, leader of the rebellion. He hopes to form an alliance between the rebel elves and the dwarves against the Tribus Empire. It is rumored that King Stephen of the Uylandia Cluster will join them.

“Whatever the outcome, world war rages in Arianus, my lord. The way is prepared for your coming. When you choose to enter the Realm of Sky, the war-weary people will look upon you as a savior.

“As for Limbeck, he—as I predicted—has become a powerful leader. Because of him, the dwarves have rediscovered their dignity, their courage, their fighting spirit. He’s ruthless, determined, not afraid of anything. His dreamy-eyed idealism broke with those spectacles of his, and he sees more clearly now than ever before. He has, I’m afraid, lost a girlfriend. But then, Jarre spent time alone with the Sartan. Who can say what strange notions he put into her head?

“As you can imagine, my lord, it took me some time to prepare the elven ship for its journey into Death Gate. I transported it and Bane down to the Steps of Terrel Fen, near where my own ship had crashed, so that I could work undisturbed. It was while I was performing the necessary modifications—using the Kicksey-Winsey to assist me—that I heard about the Sartan and the boy’s mother and their search. They had traveled as far as Drevlin. Fortunately, I was ready to leave.

“I sent the boy into a deep slumber, and made my way back through Death Gate. This time, I knew the perils I faced and was prepared for them. The ship sustained only minor damage, and I can have it repaired and refitted in time for the next journey. That is, my lord, if I have earned the right to be sent on another such mission?

“Thank you, my lord. Your praise is my greatest reward. And now I propose a salute. This is bua wine, a gift from Captain Bothar’el. I think you will find its taste extremely interesting, and it seemed to me fitting that we should drink to the success of our next mission in what we might call the blood of Arianus.

“To Death Gate, my lord, and our next destination—the Realm of Fire.”

In the wild, these enormous birds are a dragon’s favorite prey. Tiers’ wings are large and covered with soft feathers and are almost completely useless. They can, however, run extremely fast on their powerful legs. They make excellent beasts of burden and are extensively used as such in the realms of the humans. Elves consider the tier repulsive and unclean.

The barl is the main standard of exchange in both elven and human lands. It is measured in the traditional barrel of water. An equivalent exchange for a barrel of water is one barl.