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Chapter 28
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The Song of Siofra and Vanador
This place we share is just for us. A place that can not be reached
The evil ones try, they can only find frustration . They assault our bodies
but can not reach our minds. Our commitment to each other is unending
Yet trapped we are, a pair of fools bound with our love
For if one fails and loses heart, the other will surely perish.
so we continue in the unmoving dance of our bond that shall not fail.
The wounds and indignities we have borne will fade and be meaningless
Lost to time and forgotten….
until at last one day we can be free. Together.
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“I guess we figured out what Lothinar has been doing and why he might have missed the meeting the other night, “ said Amstell cheekily once Quinton had finally left the warden's office.
“Is that all you have to say for yourself?” Exploded Cenderick?
”What are you mad at me for?” asked Amstell.
“You have no idea who that guy is, or his motivations regarding our team, yet you went straight away blabbering warden information in front of him. That’s obviously Cantrell's decision to make,” said Cenderick.
”But dragons!”
”I don’t care! Your boss is standing right there, and you know we must report to him first. Privately! What if that guy runs out of the building and starts screaming ‘dragons’ at the top of his lungs, and people panic? What if someone gets hurt because of that?”
”Someone gets hurt? Duh. Dragons!”
”Did you see them hurting anyone?” Asked Cenderick.
”No,” replied Amstell sulkily. “They were just flying”
”With two coworkers that you trust. Hells, you would have put an arrow in Ardwynn’s back if I hadn’t stopped you!”
”Look, guys,” said Cantrell, butting in. “This situation is about to get seriously out of hand. I really need to fill you in on some things that I have learned since I finally tracked down Lothinar yesterday. This will probably go faster if we can get everyone together. I know that you both are just coming in off a few days of patrol, but can you help me gather everyone on the team that you can find for an emergency meeting?”
”Ardwynn was originally scheduled to go out on area upkeep watch this morning. Lothinar too, but when he ‘no showed’ that meeting, you bumped Jontain into that spot, remember?” Said Amstell.
”Ugh, it slipped my mind that I shouldn’t put them in the field together. They don’t have a good working relationship, “ said Cantrell
“I don’t think that’s her fault, boss. He just won’t stop hitting on her. It’s seriously creepy, “ said Cenderick.
”Only about as creepy as the way Ardwynn flirts with Lothinar. Seriously, that love triangle has some really sharp pointy corners. If Lothinar were just a little less oblivious, somebody would already be stabbed and bleeding,” said Amstell.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
‘We have to assume that Jontain is already out in the field, Ardwynn and Lothinar are somehow out flying dragons or whatever, But I think we can round up everyone else in just a few minutes, boss,” said Cenderick.
“I’ll get Dahlweil and Fensterly,” said Cantrell. “Amstell, you get Bondine and Califer”
”And I’ll find Telehalla and Yewstrong,” said Cenderick. Meet back here in fifteen?”
”Thanks, as soon as you can. I appreciate you guys,” said Cantrell. “Hey, do you know if anyone on the team eats eggs?”
”Not my thing,” said Cenderick.
”I think I saw Jontain eating one quite a while back. Why?” asked Amstell.
”I’ll tell you when you get back, “ said Cantrell nervously.
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“I’m quite disappointed in your sister,” said Claire. “She has obviously run off with that boy and his family”
”You know she has never really been on board,” said Quinton. “You should have seen this coming”
“Yes, unfortunately, she has seen far too closely some of the rare but unfortunate side effects of dragon egg consumption “
”What I want to know is where they got the dragons!” Asked Quinton. “Did you miss one of the magically viable eggs?”
”Please! I’ve only been here and on collection for five years. From the description you gave me, the dragons we are dealing with now have to be much older than that. Besides, nothing that could come from that lake should ever be able to fly. They must have been brought in, and for that, they had to have help”
”Who would help them?” Asked Quinton skeptically.
”Well, obviously, someone from the original family of Lothinex has managed to survive!”
”How is that possible?”
”I’m not entirely sure, but I think I know where we can start to find some answers. Their ancient homestead is in this town, you know”
”I don’t know how much actual help we are going to get out of the wardens,” said Quinton. “As calm as Cantrell seemed about everything, I somehow think he might be in on this.”
‘It won’t matter once we wake your father. We will have all the magical muscle we need to deal with dragons “
Quinton gulped
”I have to admit that I don’t really look forward to that”
”How do you think I feel?” Asked Ulaire. “Besides the eggs that we don’t really have enough of to go around right now, don’t forget about his other appetites.”
”I’m surprised that you didn’t have at least a few more kids,” said Quinton, actually blushing.
”Well, you know me, son,” Ulaire replied. “If nothing else, I’ve always been a planner.”
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‘Nine wardens, including himself, stood in a circle in the office and listened to Cantrell explain what he had learned about the water dragons of Tasumakoji. None of them looked happy, and several of them looked either either sullen or angry. In his current state of mind, it was difficult for Cantrell to tell. It was going to be an important distinction.
They had not said much while Cantrell had spoken, and although he appreciated the respect, now that the story was coming to a close, he really was starting to wonder how many of his team would see the situation the way he did. They had not met the reasonable and intelligent flying version of dragons or even Tundor. He was wondering if his trying to glean sympathy for the boorish water types was a bridge too far.
”So you are basically saying that this whole water dragon sanctuary is nothing but a magical egg farm for the Imperial elites.” Said Amstell.
“Who have changed and then enslaved the original types here not because they were dangerous to elves, but to harvest the magical properties of dragon eggs.” Continued Cenderick.
”And Lothinar’s family has actually descended from the Traitor, ‘“said Bondine. “His mother is super good-looking, by the way; I have seen her over at the market,” he faded out, stammering a bit.
“Not that it matters….” Said Califer. “We need to do the right thing even if she was ug-a-ly”
”That huge black dragon statue in the human temple was actually her dragon? She can’t possibly be that old…” said Fensterly
”That’s just it. Apparently, Dragon magic, even from consumed eggs, vastly extends the lifespan of elves. She must be ancient and doesn’t even look thirty,” said Bondine again, this time blushing a bit.
“That’s got to be why Lothinar is so ridiculously good-looking.” Said Yewstrong.
”He’s not that great,” said Telehalla
“Seriously, we are talking about Lothinar here,” said Yewstrong. “You have seen him, right?”
”Yeah, sighed Telehalla. “Ridiculous. It makes decent-looking male elves everywhere look bad. It’s not fair, I tell you!”
”I think we are getting a bit off topic,” interjected Cantrell.
”How old do you think the Emporer really is anyway?” Asked Dahlwell, finally speaking up.
”My brother and I are over eight hundred years old,” said a new elf as he stepped through the door into the crowded office. But that is not really the question we need to be concerned with today”
”What question should we be concerned with? Asked Cantrell, looking at the truly massive elf in alarm.
”The question of ‘How many of you are going to do your jobs and help me hunt down and kill some rogue dragons or how many of you are going to die right now? The Elf named Tempton said with a stone-cold face as little arcs of lightning danced across his huge fingertips.
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‘She had just been hanging out her laundry to dry when that ridiculously handsome elf that lived just up the road had surprised her by flying over on a beautiful blue dragon. He had even waved! That was more than promising. She was sure glad that she always bothered to put on a little lipstick before going out the door. Now she had finished getting ready and was wearing one of her cutest outfits. Today was the day she was finally going to introduce herself. He had waved, after all. He must be back by now.
Mavis wondered if the wardens had tamed and used those beautiful blue dragons for aerial forest reconnaissance. Maybe he could take her for a ride. Ooh, she practically swooned. He was so very good looking and what a body! The house seemed locked up tight, but the barn door was ajar. She took a little peek inside and screamed….
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