Bonn Skaard awoke with his mouth as dry as the Akri desert sands. For a moment, he thought he was in his village, but the dank, putrid air of his prison cell told him otherwise. So did the iron manacles clamped to his wrists. Near his feet was a small cup of dirty water, but to stretch himself that far would open the sores on his back from the whipping he received the previous day. When he imagined making a meal of the guard who beat him so savagely, a madman's laugh escaped from his parched lips.

A silver light pierced the high window of his cell. He thought it was nothing more than the Mother and Daughter moons casting a cold light on his suffering.

Starved and weakened, he thought he was hallucinating as he'd seen men do after being injured in battle. Their skin would turn to fire and their eyes would open wide as they screamed at unseen monsters.

But then the light flooded the cell, and a distant voice called to him, "Bonn Skaard, by Illym's edict you are free from your chains."

"Now I know I’ve gone mad," he mumbled through parched lips.

The iron manacles clanked to the stone floor and the door of the cell flew open with a bang. With the aid of the wall, Bonn rose stiffly to his feet, wincing at the fire in his joints.

"What are you waiting for?" the voice said.

"My friend, Leiffen?“

"He's waiting outside with two fresh mounts. Hurry, while the guards are distracted."

Bonn willed his weakened limbs to move. The light within the cell compressed into a ball and flew before him, lighting his way through the dank prison corridor. He followed it, moving in tight spirals up stony stairways until he was vomited out into a moonlit garden.

"Bout time, mate." Leiffen sat smiling upon a chestnut mare.

Bonn noted his ax, long blade, shield, and trusty stiletto hanging from the saddle of a tall, white stallion. He grabbed hold of the pommel and mounted the horse.

The light pulsed above their heads and Flenn's voice whispered, "Head to Crymtombe Pass. You will find Starlex and Rigel there. Take them to Mynimium if the Nazeers don't seize it first. Hurry."

Refreshed by a deep breath of freedom, Bonn heeled his mount, and the horses thundered through Oran's streets. Reveling citizens, still celebrating the birth of Scipio's heir, jumped out of the way of the galloping horses. The bell on Oran tower rang out, alerting the guards to the prisoners' escape.

"Hang back, mate," Leiffen shouted at Bonn as they rode toward Oran's main gate.

Bonn reined in his horse. Leiffen passed him by two lengths, and then jumped into a low crouch on top of the saddle. He stood slowly as the horse galloped forward, and balancing like a pageant jester, Leiffen produced the last silver globe from his pocket.

He hurled it over his head and threw it at the gate. The globe exploded, scattering the phalanx of guards who stood before it with raised pikes.

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The Skaards thundered their mounts through the jagged remains of Oran's gate. When they reached Pendulum Road, the column of light stretching to the Heavens slowly faded and was replaced by a new star. The future books of Ardelymian lore would record this star as Flennillym, the brightest light in the Northern sky.

* * *

The new star lingered like a glittering diamond in the morning sky. Scipio Davadas, his battle armor clanking, strode with wide, impatient steps into the stable. "Bring me the white stallion," he barked at the stable boy.

The boy sputtered, "The Skaard rode off with him."

Scipio growled and shoved the boy into a pile of manure. "Then bring me the next best horse and be quick about it."

"Off to battle?" said a deep voice.

Scipio turned to see Dolceto Davadas regarding him coldly from the stable door.

"What does it look like?" Scipio asked through gritted teeth. He adjusted the polished bronze gauntlets at his wrists.

"It looks like the king is desperate."

"What do you suggest I do? Allow this Skaard to run free after he raped my sister-in-law? Let Nargos Nazeer take Mynimium?"

Dolceto stepped forward, the hem of his long robe picking up pieces of straw. "You must think about the future. Your son, and our children's children."

"That's all I think about."

The trembling stable boy led a fully-tacked black warhorse into the stable.

Scipio mounted the horse and adjusted his weapons and shield. "I'm taking the best palace guards with me. You, Dolceto Davadas, will be in charge of Oran in my stead. Guard her well."

"I will, your Grace," Dolceto uttered with a deep bow and steely eyes.

With a sharp cry, Scipio heeled his horse and flew out of the stable. His guards joined him at the shattered gate, riding in a line behind with the king leading the charge.

* * *

The sun was shining like a bright disc in a clear lapis sky as Raki flew high over Crytombe Pass. She circled twice over the tallest rock mountain making up the Crags and landed on a jagged plateau below the peak.

Rigel used his magic to separate his and Starlex's bodies from the purple-feathered cage. When they were finished with the transformation, they both lay panting and exhausted in the shade of a large boulder.

Raki shook her tail feathers, happy to be free of the human burden, and soared high above their heads.

After taking a moment to catch their breaths, Rigel and Starlex crawled to the edge of the plateau and looked down upon the battle that had been raging for months.

Dozens of men from each side lay dead on the pink sands. A battalion of Oran soldiers lifted their shields against Nazeers arrows raining down on them from hidden positions in the rock cliffs above.

This was the last holdout before the Crags opened up into the wide fields of the Arki desert. The winning side would have a straight shot through the desert to Mynimium.

"After we've rested, we'll transform to Raki again and fly to our old home."

"But where is Raki?" Starlex lifted a hand to her brow to shield her eyes from the blinding sun as she scanned the sky.

"She'll be back," Rigel said with a laugh.

"She looked like she saw something that scared her."

"Yes. Us." Rigel laughed again. "If I've learned anything from becoming an animal is that they're much smarter than us."

Suddenly, a dark shadow passed over them. At first, Starlex thought it was a black cloud pregnant with rain. She hoped it would pour buckets, as she was thirstier than she had ever been. But one look at Rigel's blanched face told her this was no cloud.

Trembling, she turned to gaze over her shoulder and gasped.

Perched on the tallest rock peak was Quetzex gazing down at the battlefield with mild curiosity.

"Heavens!" cried Rigel. "I'm going to try something."

He scurried up the rock face, loosening pebbles as he climbed.

"Are you mad?" hissed Starlex after him.

"Maybe," Rigel said, still climbing. "But Flenn told me that once I mastered Raki I could transform to any beast, even a dragon. Now, here's my chance to save Oran and Mynimium. Old Flenn is telling me to do it. I can feel it!"

"Rigel, you can't!"

"Watch me!"