Red said there was going to be a feast for the blood moon celebration at his lodge tonight. He wants us gone, so we’ll act like we’re leaving. We can return under cover of darkness and enter the feast. We’ll tell everyone all at once. They’ll all be there and will hear what we have to say whether they like it or not.
I guess that’s as good a plan as any, Zahara agreed.
Anders and Zahara flew over Red’s lodge before leaving Argon. They headed out over the ocean and away from the islands. Zahara made sure she was out of sight of the islands before she began circling. Since it was afternoon, this plan meant that they had to fly for hours. Anders and Zahara grew increasingly jaded as they circled the same spot waiting for nightfall. After what seemed a lifetime, the sunset beyond the vast ocean horizon.
The blood moon had yet to rise, so Anders and Zahara were able to fly closer to the islands without being seen. They first came to land on an uninhabited beach of a nearby island within sight of Argon. Anders could see flaming torches lit among the streets of the island city. Hundreds of more longships had arrived since they’d left that afternoon. From a distance, it looked as though the beach was clear of people. He reached out with his mind to make sure there wasn’t a crowd on the beach at the edge of the city. Confirming his suspicions, he sensed the majority of the people were in the city, and gathered around Red’s large lodge.
It’s safe to go over, Anders said.
We’ll have to be extra sneaky once we’re over there. If the warriors catch us sneaking around before we get a chance to expose Red, they’ll likely think we’re there to cause harm. I don’t want to face an army of Rollo warriors if there’s any hope of keeping them as allies.
Okay. We’d better make sure we get this right then, Anders said.
Zahara flew silently over the water. Instead of landing on the beach as they did before, they decided it was best to fly straight to the lodge. The city was dark and quiet as they glided over the thatched roofs of Argon. Anders expected to see a large number of Rolloans gathered outside Red’s lodge, but to his surprise, there weren’t many at all.
Cupping the air with her large leather-like wings, Zahara slowed herself and landed softly outside the lodge. The few people in the streets didn’t think much of their arrival. Half of them didn’t even notice they’d landed, their drunken stupor blinding them to the goings on around them.
Anders leapt down from Zahara and walked up to the closed doors of Red’s lodge. He could hear the laughs and loud chatter of the warriors within the building. He took several deep breaths to calm his nerves before he grabbed and pulled the brass ring. The large wooden door swung open and Anders stepped boldly inside. The warriors’ loud chatter suddenly died as they looked to see the dragonrider enter with his dragon’s head following him into the entryway.
Red rose from his seat at the far end of the room, brew horn in hand. “I thought I told you to leave!” he bellowed angrily.
All eyes in the room flashed from Anders to Red and back to Anders.
Anders drew on the magical energy within him and used it to enhance his voice so all could hear him. “I’ll go, but before I do, I want everyone to hear why you refuse to come to our aid.”
There was a murmur among the warriors, as they looked to one another, clearly confused.
“Like I told you before. We’ll not be helping those freaks. Not for you or anyone!” Red shouted. Many cheers arose from the crowd.
Red smiled at the reaction, but Anders spoke over their din, “You may not get along with the elves and that’s fine. I’m not asking you to like them. I’m asking for your help in a war that will consume all nations in Kartania. You don’t have to do it for your allegiance to Southland or the kinship of the elves, but you should do it for the betterment of the human race.
“Merglan is the most powerful sorcerer this world has ever known. He seeks to rule humankind along with the rest of the world. It may not seem like a threat to you now, but he’ll soon be at your doorsteps and no matter how well trained you are, you won’t be able to stop him on your own. He’ll enslave your children and kill anyone who opposes him. He’s taken over Southland now and will be moving to Westland and these islands next. The elves, dwarfs and I are taking this fight to him in Southland. I beg you to listen to reason and help our cause. We’ll have a greater chance of defeating him if we can all work together.”
Anders’ words had some effect on the crowd because some of the people clapped at his call for action.
Red motioned for them to quiet down, “You speak lies!” Red barked. “Our army is strong, far stronger than he will be. Even if the rest of the world falls, he’ll never take these islands. We sent him running scared in Eastland and we’ll do the same if he tries to come here.”
Red earned more cheers and hoots from his warriors.
“I’m not the one who speaks lies. I would tell my people the truth about one of their best captains being forced from their command.”
The room fell silent once more. They turned to look at their chief. “What’s he talking about?” one of the warriors asked.
Anders knew he was only speculating about what happened to Britt, but he had a strong suspicion he was right.
Red screwed up his face and coughed, clearing his throat. “He’s got his facts all wrong.”
“You told the members of your navy that one of their best captains, Britt, wanted to leave her post and stay in Westland with her new friends. Did you not?”
Anders looked around the room and saw many of the warriors bobbing their heads in agreement.
“I told them that because that was the truth!” Red shouted. “She told me herself she wanted to stay with them. She’d fallen in love with that dark-haired one, Max.”
Many of the people in the room began to talk at this new information.
“I don’t believe you,” Anders said. “I think you forced her out because she questioned your ability to lead these people,” Anders gestured to the crowd.
“I thought I told you to leave. We’ll not be helping you or your cause and I’ll not sit here and take this from an inexperienced dandy!” He forced his chair back and he shot to his feet.
Anders stopped him with his mind. He held him still, unable to move or act. The unexpected use of magic drained his energy quickly, but Anders held the spell restricting his movement and his tongue from speaking any further. He spoke to the people in the crowded room, “I came here to ask for help from allies, people who I fought beside in Eastland. I see you as friends and don’t want that to change. I’m going to bring the fight to Merglan before he brings it to the rest of the world. I only ask that you make up your minds for yourselves. If you want to stay here with Red, then do that. But if you believe him to be withholding secrets in how he handles things when someone disagrees with him and want to help our cause in Southland, then I ask you to set sail to Southland. We’ll be leading the fight at the Drakeshead. If any of you choose to come, you can expect plenty of fighting to be had in the Ramhorn as well. I’ve said what I have to say.”
Anders turned and left the lodge, closing the door behind him. He kept his hold on Red until he and Zahara had lifted high over the city. He wanted to give the people time to think for themselves about what he’d told them. Once he couldn’t hold the spell any longer, he released Red.
Do you think that worked? Anders asked Zahara once they’d turned back toward Westland.
I don’t know. There were mixed emotions from many in the room. It’s hard to say if we convinced any of them to leave. I doubt Red will allow them to leave anyway.
Yeah, you’re right. He’ll probably banish anyone who leaves, saying that they can no longer be Rollo citizens if they choose to fight with us.
We’ll just have to wait and see what happens over the next week, Zahara said.
As they flew through the night, Anders’ thoughts wandered to the events of the week ahead. When they returned to the elves and dwarfs, they’d be going to war once again. He worried that he might not live to see Maija again. He wondered how she was faring in Nagano, whether she’d found the dragon and if they’d become friends. He missed her terribly but knew their destinies involved two separate paths now.
Chapter 39
Lazuran’s Power
Anders nodded off as he rode, bobbing in and out of sleep as they flew through the night. He and Zahara had gone days with only several hours of rest each night. The chilly air of the night sky was no longer cold enough to keep him alert. When they’d flown from the elven forest, the chill at altitude had held him on guard, but as the days passed in their travels, the chill became numbingly normal. The constant air rushing past his ears turned to white noise and the persistent whooshing of Zahara’s wings lulled him to complacency. His connection with Zahara relaxed after they’d taken a brief pit stop along the Bareback Plains earlier that day. After flying over open water through the night and south along Westland’s coast most of the morning, they found a small oasis of trees along the coast and took shelter. Using the concealment spell Natalia taught them before leaving the Everlight Kingdom, Anders and Zahara were allowed several worry-free hours to catch up on their sleep before they set out to continue on their route.
