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  Dragon School: Mark of Loyalty

  Dragon School, Volume 12

  Sarah K. L. Wilson

  Published by Sarah K. L. Wilson, 2018.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  DRAGON SCHOOL: MARK OF LOYALTY

  First edition. May 25, 2018.

  Copyright © 2018 Sarah K. L. Wilson.

  Written by Sarah K. L. Wilson.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Behind the Scenes:

  To all those who stand for truth.

  Chapter One

  Leng was all business as we gathered around the fires. The rescued Lightbringers huddled together, damp and bedraggled from the storm and the days of imprisonment. I was just glad that we were free. I wasn’t born for a cage.

  No one is.

  “We rest for one hour,” Leng said. “I can’t afford longer than that. We recovered twenty horses. As many Lightbringers as can ride should scatter on horseback. Jastar Leghorn, former purser for Umtal City.” He gestured to a greying man with a solid frame, “has agreed to help formulate a plan to help you divide up and reach as many cities and towns as possible. We need to rally the Lightbringers in other cities before they are rounded up and sent to Dominion City. Any Castelans who can be convinced to join our cause should join us. We must not allow the Dusk Covenant to succeed in destroying the Dominion.”

  There were murmurs of agreement.

  “We’ll leave the human prisoners – our former guards - in the cages here,” Jastar said. “I, myself, will lead those of us who don’t have horses on foot to the nearest Lightbringer safehouse. One of those who takes a horse will stop in a nearby village to tell them about these prisoners. That should give us enough time to scatter before we are pursued. We don’t have a place to keep them but leaving them here indefinitely is a death sentence.”

  “What about their black dragons?” Haskell asked from the crowd of freed prisoners.

  “Those will come with me,” Leng said, a dark look in his steady eyes. “We will bear them as prisoners to the lands of Haz’drazen.”

  “We could use the aid of your dragons,” Jastar said, looking longingly at the wild dragons as they circled our camp. The rain had stopped, and it was easier to see their silhouettes pass across the moon now that the clouds were drifting away.

  “Impossible, I’m afraid. Haz’drazen has sent word that all loyal dragons are to return to her lands to await her orders. We must leave before dawn, and the dragons with us.”

  Jastar nodded and then called to two others to join him as they discussed the best course. They’d deal with this situation. We had our own troubles to deal with.

  Leng gave them a brisk wave of farewell and then stalked toward Ahlskibi. He was resting beside Raolcan, Rasipaer, and Kyrowat, waiting for us to return.

  I followed his quick strides, barely keeping up - even with my crutch flying at my side like a third leg. It had been amazing to walk – even for those few minutes – without difficulty or assistance. Since we’d healed Savette, my leg had slowly begun to ache. It felt worse after so many days without pain – especially now that I was injured on top of that. It was funny how you could get used to a thing. I’d gotten used to painlessness.

  “Leng?”

  He turned to me with a tired smile, a question in his gaze. He felt more – in charge – than he had the last time I’d seen him. And older. More weary and worn. I wondered what he’d seen when he liberated the captives of Saldrin. Because he must be the Dragon Rider rumor said had taken the city for a day - long enough for the refugees to flee for safety.

  “We have a man named Shonan with us, riding Ashana Willowspring’s dragon. He needs to journey to the lands of Haz’drazen with us.”

  Leng nodded, like his mind was on something else. “Shonan?”

  “It’s important. Rasipaer was separated from Ashana.”

  “Of course.”

  Should I tell him that Shonan was the Dominar? Was it my secret to tell?

  We joined the others where they were huddled, wet and dirty, in a ring close to the dragons. Shonan was missing, but I bit my lip as I considered whether I should speak his secret aloud. Hubric would probably caution against it. And Leng seemed preoccupied, like he’d suddenly been hit by a huge thought.

  “All wounds bound up?” Leng asked.

  “Yes,” Haskell answered him. “I saw to everyone.”

  She’d even bandaged my leg where I’d been stabbed, tying it up with a poultice she’d made from supplies found in our captors’ tents.

  “You’re not a Dragon Rider,” Leng said carefully. “You should return to the others. They have plans.”

  “She’s with me,” Hubric said, protectively.

  I felt my eyebrows rise. He planned to bring her with him? That was decidedly unlike the Purple Dragon Rider.

  He has his reasons.

  What reasons?

  Like you, Hubric’s eyes are clouded with human foolishness.

  Well, we were human, after all.

  And you humans have the worst instincts about the right time to fall in love.

  In love? Hubric? But he was so ... so old.

  I’m pretty sure that doesn’t make him immune. It also doesn’t make him immune to flames and Kyrowat is considering that method to cure him of his foolishness.

  Leng nodded, looking concerned, like his mind still wasn’t with us. “Then, we all need to leave together. I’m assuming all the dragons here are loyal to their Queen. We need to make haste. Haz’drazen has called all loyal dragons home, but more than that, Starie Atrelan and the Hand of the Dusk Covenant ride for the Lands of Haz’drazen. She’s been boasting that she will make the Queen of Dragons bend to her will. That can’t be good.”

  I clenched my jaw.

  Well, don’t fear for Haz’drazen. Fear for Starie. My Queen will rip her into pieces.

  I shuddered.

  Probably not while you’re watching.

  That didn’t make it much better.

  Probably.

  “Can these dragons all fly?” Leng asked.

  “Kyrowat can,” Hubric said. “Haskell will fly with us.”

  “Raolcan can fly,” I said. Not that I wanted him to just yet. I was worried about those bites. “He’ll carry me and Savette.”

  Stop fussing over me. I’ve told you so many times, I’m tough! I’ll be fine!

  “Then we can leave almost immediately. Collect whatever supplies you can. There’s a safehouse to the south, but most of them have been destroyed by the Dusk Covenant or picked over by fleeing Lightbringers, so don’t expect much.”

  “We’ve already collected whatever we could find,” Hubric said, holding up a meager bundle of blankets and waterskins.

  I squinted my eyes and saw that he had saddled our dragons while we’d been busy.

  I like this saddle. It’s a warrior one. You’re going to love it, too. Streamlined. Two-seater. Lots of straps for you and extra padding for me.

  Leng cleare
d his throat. “I wish I could give you better news from the north and better hope, but our days are long and hard with many battles and more to come. It’s not time to whine about that, but there will be hardships and bad news without much good to help us bear it. I saw your signal – that burst of light in the sky and I came for you.” He smiled at me. “And I’m so glad that I did. It’s good to have you all join us for our flight to Haz’drazen. May she show us mercy when we finally arrive.”

  She will. That boy has grown since you saw him last. He’s got a spine of iron.

  He’d need it. We all would before this was over.

  “Where’s the man you mentioned, Amel?” Leng asked, his forehead wrinkling in an anxious fashion. “We should get him here, so we can mount up and get going.”

  “Sorry, I was just looking for a cloak,” Shonan said, emerging from behind Rasipaer. There was a cloak under his good arm, easy to see as the moonlight spilled over him.

  Beside me, Leng gasped. “Shonan? It’s really you!”

  “Leng?”

  I gasped as Leng took off like a bounding puppy, rushing forward and throwing his arms around the ruler of our Dominion as if he was a childhood friend.

  Chapter Two

  “Leng! It is you!” Shonan’s deep voice cracked slightly as they parted from their embrace.

  “Your arm!”

  “Lost to the enemy.”

  “I thought for sure ...” Leng’s own voice wavered and I realized as I listened to them both that there was a similarity to the sound of their voices. He started again. “I thought for sure I wouldn’t see you again in this life. When they came for you it seemed certain that ... that ...”

  “That my path would be a lonely one?”

  Leng nodded. His hand was clapped on Shonan’s shoulder.

  “Older brother, it’s like you’re back from the dead.”

  Shonan’s laugh was harsh. “I feel more like someone stole my life than that they gave it back.”

  “That’s no life.”

  “Trust me, the man who stole it will make death grow where once the living flourished. He’ll poison the minds of all who follow him and sow arguments and treachery in his path.”

  So, Leng knew that Shonan had been the Dominar? He knew that somehow his mask and crown were taken?

  Well, if they were brothers then he must have been there the day Shonan was chosen to be the Dominar.

  How did that happen? How was a new Dominar chosen? I thought they were born in a family like Castelans.

  We really should have made sure you read those textbooks back at Dragon School.

  I did try before they disbanded the school.

  Because if we had, then you would know that the Dominar is chosen by the Council. When the Dominar dies or is otherwise unable to continue to reign, the Council takes a bag of stones, each one with a district carved on it.

  For the district that they draw out, another bag is produced – the bag containing stones from each city and village of the district. From that bag, a stone is drawn. The Council travels to that place and there, the names of each family are written out and the council draws out one name, burning the rest in a ceremonial fire.

  From that family, the name of every person, unmarried between the ages of fifteen and seventy-five, is written out and again, a name is drawn.

  That person is crowned and masked and their name is forgotten. There is a funeral for them, as if they had died that day – because they have. From that day forward, they have no family, no friends, no life. They will not marry or bear children. They are the mask and the crown and nothing else.

  I felt my eyes sting with fresh tears. So Leng wasn’t lying when he said he’d received his brother back from the dead.

  “Ride with me, brother,” Leng said, his voice rough. “We can catch up as we fly.”

  And if Ahlskibi lets anything slip, I’ll be sure to let you know.

  That didn’t quite help the jealousy souring my belly as I turned to mount Raolcan. I’d only just got Leng back and I already had to share him with someone he loved more.

  Not more. Just different. Like how you love me.

  I helped Savette up on Raolcan’s back - she was still weak from being healed – and then placed a foot in a stirrup. A hand on my back stopped me before I pushed up into the saddle.

  “Don’t think I’ve forgotten you, Amel Leafbrought.”

  I turned and was surprised by Leng’s sudden kiss and quiet chuckle. “I saw that jealous back you turned on me.”

  Perceptive.

  “I’m not jealous.”

  Liar.

  He laughed again. “We’ll catch up, too. We’ll try to get to the Sapphire Springs chalet. If it still stands, we can rest there this evening. I’ll show you the hot springs. They’re a sight to see.”

  Now that sounded very good. I forced a smile. “I thought we were in a hurry.”

  “Not too much of a hurry for that.”

  My smile this time was genuine. “I’m glad that you have your brother back, Leng.”

  “Just don’t listen to anything he says about me. None of it is true.” He was smiling as he warned me.

  And now I was incredibly curious about what Shonan might say.

  So am I.

  He kissed me again, rushing away as soon as he was done. I cleared my throat and mounted Raolcan, carefully strapping my crutch in place while Savette adjusted her blindfold.

  “Ready to go?” I asked her.

  “There’s something different about this trip, Amel,” Savette said in a far-away voice. “Something big is about to take place.”

  And with her portentous words ringing in our ears, we launched into the night sky.

  Chapter Three

  Our first stop was at a ramshackle farm just after dawn. Kyrowat dropped down from the sky to land in the farmyard and the dragons with riders joined him in the bare dirt. The house and barn stood with doors open, squeaking on their hinges. The grass had grown long and died around the doorstep and over the paths between the buildings. No one had been here for a long time.

  “What is this place?” Savette asked.

  “A dust storm came through this area about a decade ago,” Hubric said. “Most farmers picked up and left when their crops stopped coming up. The wells are still good, for the most part. The water came back a few years ago.”

  He dismounted and hobbled over to the well, cranking up the bucket. I slid my crutch free, checking on Raolcan as he licked his healing wounds. He was healing remarkably quickly.

  Told you so. We heal quickly and I heal even quicker than most dragons.

  Why was that?

  Willpower.

  One of these days I was going to figure out when he was joking about things. In the meantime, I went to explore the house. We weren’t well supplied. If anything at all had been left behind, it could come in handy.

  The house was built of wood slats and a dry dusty smell pervaded everything. Someone had taken the time to carve the ceiling beams and doorposts. They’d handcrafted shelves and the fireplace was river rock. Someone had loved this house once. Now, every room was coated in a thick layer of dust. I went from room to room, but each was bare and empty. Would my family home be like this after war swept through our land?

  The last room I checked was an old panty. On the top shelf, a battered kettle and a twisted spoon were all that remained. I looked in the top of the kettle. It was clean on the inside, but black and battered on the outside. Maybe if we found some sort of herbs somewhere, Hubric could have tea again. That would cheer him up.

  I turned to leave and almost ran into Leng. He leaned casually against the pantry doorpost, his eyes tired.

  “When did you last sleep?” I asked him.

  “There will be time enough for sleep when all this is done.”

  “The war you mean?” He was pushing himself too hard. He was looking thinner. “Wars can take a long time.”

  He shrugged. “Life, I guess. You only get one crac
k at it. I think it’s best to squeeze as much as you can out of those few years.”

  “You aren’t a dragon, Leng. You can’t go into a deep sleep later to recover. You need your rest.”

  He smiled. “You sound like a mother.”

  “Your mother?”

  His face went dark for a moment, but then he shook his head. “Getting Shonan back as a brother ... well, it brings back memories. Some memories hurt like old wounds. You seem to know about Shonan. Who he was. What happened to him. How is that possible?”

  I flushed. Was he going to tear into me the way Hubric had when he found out? He had a dangerous look in his eye.

  “When the Dominar lost his arm, it got infected. The infection was spreading, so we had to remove the rest of his arm to save him. He was feverish and sick. Someone had to take that mask off to help him.”

  I jutted my chin out defiantly. I was sick of being judged for just trying to help. His expression was still grim. I clenched my jaw in response, holding the battered kettle between us like a wall. “You weren’t there, so you don’t know. It was inhuman to let him suffer without helping. I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t ... You weren’t there.”

  I was looking at the ground now. I had nothing to be ashamed of, so why did I feel so bad? I let my compassion override the rules. So what? If anything was clear about me by now, it should be that I was always going to do that. I wiped my face with my sleeve. When had I started crying? The sleeve hitched up uncomfortably, but my other hand was full with my crutch and the kettle, so I couldn’t fix it.

  “Amel? What’s on your arm?” Something in his voice had changed.

  I looked down, surprised to see a bright mark on my arm, like a tattoo made of light. It was the sign of the Lightbringers, surrounded by swirling patterns, a mirror image to the one on Shonan’s arm. When he’d embraced mine and we’d fought to save Savette that mark on his arm had glowed bright. Now, here it was on my arm, bright as his. He’d left his mark on me.

  Leng looked pale and his Adam’s apple bobbed, like he was swallowing while he was considering the mark on my arm. After a second, he took two sudden steps towards me and took my wrist in his hand. I flinched, expecting a rough grip, but his hands were gentle as he drew my wrist to his lips and kissed it. He tugged my sleeve down over my wrist and spoke quietly, almost reverently.