Dragons enslaving Dragons? Not only did the concept offend Tyrez on a fundamental level, but Dragons weren’t easy to subdue, even by others of their kind.
“Again, he says it isn’t high numbers. Makes sense because it’s the only way they could stay under your radar. I thought you should know. Especially as you think this Warlock has a Dragon enslaved.”
How Rindek had enslaved not just a Dragon, but one that was an Oracle, was something no one had yet explained. But what if he hadn’t captured Firashe as a youngling or an adult?
Tyrez’s mother, the Matriarch, suggested that the Warlock had captured a Dragona of the Seer line. And orchestrated the creation of an Oracle by killing her as she gave birth.
Tyrez hadn’t wanted to think of that possibility. But those who had met Firashe said he appeared young, maybe nineteen or twenty. In Dragon years, that would be about forty-five.
Jacques’s ears were still twitching, a sign of his reluctance to stay near Tyrez as the Dragon absorbed this news. Tyrez closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “How long does your informant think the Nazantians have been selling Dragons?”
“That’s the thing,” the Satyr said. “He’s been hearing rumors for a long time.”
“How long?”
Jacques met his eyes. “Long enough.”
Tyrez exhaled noisily.Long enough.“I’ll need locations.”
The Satyr relaxed, marginally. “I have them.”
4
Ash sat on the beach and watched the waves sweep toward him.
A vast ocean dominated this realm. Long chains of volcanic islands provided the only land masses. Driven by chaotic air currents, storms whipped the oceans into a frenzy that continually reshaped the beaches. Sometimes entire islands succumbed to the waves.
Only aquatic creatures wanted to spend any time here. As the winds made flying difficult, the Dragons avoided this realm. That made it a perfect hideout for a rogue Archmage.
It was so useful in that regard that Rindek kept a permanent residence here. Huddled among the shielding rocks was the house built mostly of stone. The volcano that created this ring of islands had been dormant for two hundred years, and for much of that time, Rindek had maintained his house.
Ash knew every nook and cranny on this island. He’d spent the first ten years of his life here, until his talent matured enough for him to be useful.
The wind increased as the latest storm brewed over the open ocean. It gusted through Ash’s hair, blowing it like a golden banner behind him. As part of his Dragon heritage, the silken strands never tangled. He’d braided the bits to each side of his face simply to keep it out of his eyes.
He closed them as he turned his face to the wind. To anyone who might be watching, it appeared as though he was relaxing. The reality was far darker—his mind sifted through possible future timelines like someone might sort shells on the beach.
Trying to determine which might come to fruition was the stuff of madness, but Ash had spent forty-four years doing just that. Not a long time for a Dragon—he would be considered just past adolescence. But it was long enough that he’d learned to interpret his gift. Mostly.
Usually the possibilities were so scattered as to be nearly indecipherable, that is, until a key event or person appeared in the present to show him the way. As of late, those keystone happenings were streamlining the future down to about twenty separate likelihoods.
Some were dark as hell. In more than one, he foresaw his own death. In others, the death of realms. Only a handful held any promise for a sane, healthy future.
An image of a Dragon sheathed in gleaming, blue and green scales popped up with increasing frequency. Every time it did so, Ash’s heart pounded. It gave him hope, even as other visions took it from him.
At least his mind had healed enough to function again. Every time Rindek instigated his “punishments” it did damage that took a while to repair.
“Thought I’d find you mooning about out here.” The harsh, whistling voice undertones matched the speaker perfectly. It snapped Ash out of his meditative trance.
“You are supposed to be gathering Malla,” the voice continued.
Ash pointed to the bag of clam-like creatures lying beside him on the sand. “I have been.”
“I got a Trannk, so we’ll eat well tonight.”
That did make Ash look over. The birds were the only other creatures that used the islands. “They’re nesting right now. If you kill an adult, the mate and offspring will die as well. It is the wrong time of year to hunt them if you want the population to survive.”
Ash wasn’t surprised when the young Torshin simply shrugged.
