The surge of pure emotion set Ash’s blood on fire. Then it cut off, and Tyrez returned to the gruesome task of cleaning up.
Ash pushed off the wall and returned to Dani.
* * *
Out on what was left of the Gryphons’ grasslands, Tyrez dragged another body to the pile.
The rage that had sustained him was diminishing. Mostly because he now understood why Ash had held back. The images the Oracle had shown him—he shuddered. If they’d known how narrow their chances of success had really been, they might have been defeated before they’d even begun.
If he’d ever needed a demonstration of the daily agony Ash endured due to his talent, he had it now. How could anyone keep that stuff bottled up inside? Look around them, and know what was going to transpire, and not be tempted to try to intervene?
Ash had often done so, of course. But with infinite care. Even while being tortured by Rindek, he’d subtly attempted to steer events along certain timelines. Never knowing if it would work, or result in disaster.
Tyrez gave his Dragon body a good shake, but very little grime vacated the premises. Razir loomed up beside him, dragging a Dire body with his tail, and added it to the pile. The Dragonas had helped dig a long, deep trench in the ground for the dead enemy Dires. Their own deceased were lined up at the base of the mountains, awaiting a formal cremation.
Their numbers were high, but having seen in Ash’s mind, Tyrez now knew how lucky they’d been.
Razir moved closer and shifted from foot to foot. Like Tyrez, his entire Dragon body was covered in gore. “I’ves talked tos Taran,” he said.
“Abouts what?” Tyrez asked, but he thought he knew.
Razir’s scaly brows dropped lower. “Abouts your exile.”
“Its hass to sstand,” hissed Tyrez.
Razir’s eyes widened. “But...”
“Ifs either Taran or Father triess to lifts it, they wills lose the trusst of ours peoples.” Tyrez shook his head. “Its hass to sstand.”
Razir’s head dropped. “Taran ssaid he wass willings. But that he wasn’t ssure it wass a goods idea.”
“He knowss.” Tyrez shrugged. “It’s okay, Razir. I have planss.”
“I wants to go with yous,” he said, his eyes luminous.
It was a heartfelt offer, but Tyrez gave another shake of his head. “Taran wills need yous, Razir. There wills be those that will contest hiss rule. Yous must sstay.”
Razir seemed to shrink into himself. “Where wills yous go?”
“I wills show you. When thiss iss all over and dones.”
The purple Dragon brightened at that.
“We are brotherss,” Tyrez said, whacking him on the butt with his tail. “We wills alwayss be brotherss.”
Razir snorted a laugh. “Yeah. We alwayss rolls in the sames—”
“Hey, arre you two lizards going to stand arround gabbing forrever?” A dark-haired Sabre spat Dire fur out of his mouth before shoving the fur donator’s body into the pit. “Get yourr scaly Dragon butts in gearr. I don’t carre if you arre princes. We’ve got a few hundrred morre bodies to burrn.”
Cody was so covered in gore it was difficult to identify him. But the banter was pretty distinctive.
A shorter, broader form loomed behind him. “Look who’s doing the gabbing,” Ryan complained after spitting out his burden.
Tyrez looked beyond them. “Yous guys good? Kitani?”
Cody shook some grisly bits off him. “She’s with the twins. Figurres. All keen to fight and give us hearrt attacks, but now that its overr, she’s fine with leaving us to the cleanup.”
Ryan lifted a lip at him. “She’s a damned good fighterr.”
