Stopping midway between his prisoners and the Councilmen at the gates, Nadir gripped his blade tightly in one hand and said, “Do not fear me, I come in peace.”
“Sheath your weapon and walk slowly toward us,” a Councilman in the middle of the group responded.
Nadir did as requested, placing the elven blade back in its scabbard. He walked slowly toward them with his hands held up to show he wasn’t hiding anything.
“Halt there.”
Stopping, Nadir said, “I’ve brought evidence of the end of this war.”
Neither of the three Council members responded.
Nadir eyed them, then asked, “What, you don’t trust me? What did I say to you yesterday?”
The Councilman to his left closed his eyes and was about to speak, when Nadir cut him off, “I remember. I told you I was going to bring an end to this war once and for all, something we should’ve been actively participating in before it got out of hand. And your reply was?” This time Nadir listened for a response.
“If you ever wished to be welcomed back into this city again, you would have to defeat Merglan himself,” the elf said, looking past Nadir at the sorcerer.
“I’ve managed to do just that,” Nadir stepped closer to the members of the High Council and said in a hushed tone, “I am the King of the Everlight Kingdom. The next time I say we’re going to bring a stop to something that could destroy the entire world, you’re going to damn well listen.” He pulled back and inhaled deeply, letting his chest rise as he straightened. “I assume you’ve assembled these heavily armed soldiers to escort the prisoners to their cells?” Nadir asked, pointing toward the elves lining the rim of the wall.
The robed elves scowled, knowing they’d been beaten at their game. Waving them forward, Nadir led his soldiers and their captives through the city gates. Nadir grinned as he walked past the tunnel of elves lining their path, those who had gathered to see their King return victorious and vindicated. Cheers drowned their stamping as the armored soldiers made their way toward the elven courthouse. His arrival just a day prior had been starkly different. Cedarbridge’s population had been in a volatile state just hours earlier; opposition to Nadir’s claim had run rampant through the civilian crowds. Their King’s arrival with Kartania’s most feared enemy bound and restrained, converted even his most staunch opponents to cheering supporters.
As he walked up the courthouse steps, Nadir swelled with pride. The full High Council now stood just inside the entrance to the elven court. When Nadir entered, they bowed, showing their respect for his authority. He turned and watched as the Norfolk sorceress maneuvered the prisoners through the enormous doors. Even the Council members gasped and then hushed when Merglan floated in, a sly grin across his face. Killdoor barely fit through the entrance designed for dragons, truly telling of his enormous size.
Once inside, Nadir addressed the members of the High Council, “Do we even need to discuss his punishment?”
Collectively they shook their heads, “The honor is yours, your Grace.”
Nadir nodded, “Merglan, I sentence you to eternal imprisonment in our deepest cell.”
“Not to death?” Merglan asked, speaking for the first time since he’d been taken from Anders.
“Death would be too kind,” Nadir replied. “The punishment where you’re going will fit the crimes you’ve committed. The magic in these cells is stronger than you could ever imagine.” Nadir nodded to Zorna, “Take him down.”
The door to the prison opened and a dragon-sized extension that Nadir knew was there but had never before seen formed at the entrance. His jaw tightened as he watched his soldiers haul Merglan and Killdoor into the chamber where the magic would contain them indefinitely.
As they drifted into the shadowed entrance, Merglan called back to Nadir, “Not killing me now is a mistake, elf.”
The doors to the prison closed. Nadir knew that the magic woven into the prison was stronger than Merglan ever could be. Nadir held his gaze on the spot in the floor where the trap door had just closed. He felt a hand hit him on the back, snapping him from his stare. He turned to see a member of the High Council at his side.
Shaking his hand, the elf said, “Well done, my King. You’ve righted a wrong that has plagued our world for decades.”
Nadir nodded blankly at the elf. He couldn’t believe it. Merglan had finally been incarcerated, no longer free to wreak chaos as he wished. All of Kartania was free from his oppression.
Nodding to the crowd who’d followed them to the court building, the Councilman said with a wink, “You’d better address your people. They’ll want to know what they can expect from their King.”
As Nadir walked toward the entrance, one of his soldiers rushed ahead to open the door for him so he could address the gathering outside. The mass of elves looked up at him expectantly, anxious to hear what he might say. This gathering felt different from the one just a day earlier.
A green-robed elf standing atop the steps near Nadir announced him to his people, “All hail your monarch and rigorous ruler, King Nadir!” The crowd erupted in cheers. Nadir raised his hands and the cheers grew louder. He reveled in their praise, basking in his hard-won recognition. When they finally quieted, Nadir spoke of the leadership he vowed to uphold as their king.
The door clanked closed behind them. Zorna maintained her magical spell on Merglan and his dragon, Killdoor. The prison’s admittance chamber felt full to the brim with the bulk of the dragon. Merglan sat in the air, legs still outstretched and arms pulled back. The soldiers who had accompanied them down into the prison held their blades pointed at the sorcerer, not trusting that he would remain still. Sweat beaded on Zorna’s forehead as she began to shake from her efforts. Zorna saw the crystal’s glow dimming as its additional strength began to run dry. Resorting to her iron willpower, the Norfolk woman trembled as the magical bonds became too much to bear. The dragon’s struggles continued, causing most of her fatigue. As far as she could tell, Merglan appeared to be accepting the punishment.
“To the bottom then?” Merglan asked.
“You’re less worried about this than I would’ve expected,” Zorna replied, trying hard to sound relaxed, masking her struggle against Killdoor.
“You want me to be angry or upset that I’ve been bested?” Merglan said.
The woman eyed him as she held her spell on him, “Now that the door is closed, you’re subject to the prison’s powers. The magic here is so strong not even you and your dragon could escape it.”
“Then why are you still restraining me?” Merglan asked.
The woman didn’t respond, she wasn’t going to tell him anything about how the magic in the prison worked. She watched as the soldier she’d spoken to mentally did as she instructed. He tapped on a stone in the wall, opening a panel. Placing his finger on the panel, he traced the symbol just as she instructed. As the elf removed his finger from the panel, the room’s walls started to glow. With a jolt, the entire chamber began to move down.
“Once you’re tucked neatly into your cell, I’ll lift these restraints,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t hear the quiver in her voice.
Merglan started to laugh.
“I don’t know what you think is so funny about this. You’re past the point of return now. It’s all over,” Zorna said.
As she spoke the last word, she felt the sorcerer beginning to push against her. It started slowly at first but increased rapidly. The dragon thrashed, loosening its bondage. She willed for the strength to hold him still, but the creature began to move more with each attempt. The soldiers in the confined space started shouting at the dragon, telling it to hold still. They moved uneasily with their blades turning away from Merglan and onto the dragon.
The old woman shook as she tried to restrain both the dragon and Merglan simultaneously. Slowly tucking his feet in, Merglan moved his legs under himself. The woman in white struggled frantically, beginning to panic as Killdoor fell to the ground and Merglan came to stand.
Seeing the dragon gaining more control, the elf soldiers in the space tried to restrain it. At first they used their bodies, but as the dragon regained more control of his abilities, they began to use their swords. Doing everything in her power to stop the dragon from going wild and killing them all, Zorna also watched as Merglan pushed his hands apart and struggled to bring them in front of himself.
The elf who held Zorna on his shoulders let go of her legs and drew his blade. Holding the point toward the sorcerer, he ordered, “You stop moving now, or I’ll be forced to run you through.”
