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Prologue: Finding
Ragged breathing sounded down the hall. Clawed feet pounded on the icy floor as the blue creature ran on all fours. Her winged serpentine body curved when rounding a bend. A group of her kind, walking toward her, parted so that she could get by. She gave no thanks. There was not time for it.
At last she came to the threshold of the Great Hall. Here the head brother of her species took residence. He was actually no relative to her; “brother” was just a term of respect for males. Such was it also with the “sisters,” or females.
She stopped at the entry and forced herself to remember why she came. It returned to her a second later. And there she stood, reflecting a matter of immense importance while standing before the place she had to be. Chiding herself on the inside, she went under the doorway in a brisk walk.
Four columns of ice held up the chamber she entered. They formed a path to the being on a frosty throne: a beast with huge wings, spikes going down his back, horns jutting from his head, and a massive body. Argent scales encased him from snout to tail. White, pupil-less eyes of light regarded the unannounced arrival.
For a moment they both stared. Then the blue being bowed and spoke. “Silver One … he has been uncovered. Our brother has been found! After these thirty long years the elves have discovered him!” Her voice broke with emotion. “We can realign him to the rest. He may at last be freed!”
The breath seeped from the larger creature in a hiss. “Be not so quick to rejoice. Our relations with the Royal Family are not at all well. One ill move would cause something we could never reverse. This is war. Do you not remember our motives for going into hiding?” A sigh escaped him. “I wish to evade any chance of this. The land would soon tear apart, should we battle each other.”
“I know this,” the blue one said. “I knew you would react thus. So I came to request a rescue mission. Brother Ianvorr has suffered captivity long enough! I implore you to allow me just this!”
“That is the sort of move—of action—I meant,” the Silver One said. “This is what I know: Ianvorr is held in Galgon. The king and queen rule from there, in case you have forgotten. Attempting any release for our fallen brother would be a grave error. The rulers might deem it an attack upon the Capital of Keiratha.”
“Since the day he was taken there,” her superior said. “These past three decades you searched for naught. He always was within saving. You often approached me for an inkling of hope. I lied every time to you. Now the truth is obvious. I cannot pray you forgive me; I do not even own remorse to my deeds. For I did what was best for our kind and the other classes. I disallowed you from being the originator of a war.”
The blue beast’s eyes narrowed, but she held within the onslaught of ire that assaulted her heart. “What, then, should I do, Silver One?” she questioned. She beat her tail on the ice floor, giving liberty to some of the pent-up energy she felt coursing through her veins. “What would you have me do? You know I love him. Or is that it? Have you kept this from me because you—”
“No such thing,” the argent being said. “Heed what I must speak. Had the elves not have found this out and related it to you, I would not utter a word to you. But now you possess this knowledge, so I must order you not to act on impulse. The knowledge itself is incentive enough to do this. Hostility is to be the only result.”
She did not know what to make of this. “What are you trying at?”
“You should wait until the proper time,” he said, bringing his head down some. “That is less than a month, during the Convergence Ceremony. At that time, as you know, Galgon’s citizens gather to celebrate their unity. Go then and confront King Jaldor as the activities begin. Do whatever is necessary to have him free Ianvorr.”
Rapture flew through her like a sudden burst of wind, dissolving any remaining tendrils of anger within her being. “I shall do as you command.” She bowed and turned to leave without his permission. She had to plan how this was to be done at the Ceremony. Her lover was to be returned to her in a matter of days! After that day he would never again leave her side.
The female dragon once more sped through the halls, this time propelled by joy. To where she went was not important. She only knew that she had to be with Ianvorr. Thirty years of lovelornness and ghostly memories left her thirsting for him. Soon he would be the water to revive her soul.
