Isle of the Dragons: Book 4

By Florence Joanne Reid

Isle of the Dragons

Where once there was only one golden dragon, now there are twelve golden queen dragons. Only half are old enough to mate, but over five years they created a covey of nearly two hundred dragons. That was enough to have a dozen squadron leaders.

The war at Thanos is over, thank all the Gods, but the war at Wylche is heating up. Dragons, taller than a horse, with sharp teeth and breathing fire, are used to scare the southern army men into running. But skirmishes happen; men are killed, injured, and laid up for a time.

There is a prophecy come down from the Seven Gods that Zandrax will do something drastic to cause the Wylche Royal Castle to crumble, raise a mountain, and the Gods will use it to create a new Royal Castle atop the mountain for the new Dragon Lord. Prince Leander fears his father will die and that new Dragon Lord will be him.

How will Zandrax pull down a castle the Seven Gods installed eons ago?

Close to the end of the war King Philipi disappeared. Where? Royal Castle? Will Zandrax appear there? Can Philipi shoot him full of his tiny poison darts from his mini crossbow? Will he have the strength?

And what will Zandrax do next? And will his flying horse (Grogan, the shape-changing demon) carry him? Deliver him safely? Or dump him? Will Zandrax be able to carry out his evil diabolical plot?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 5, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514456170

Florence Joanne Reid

Florence Reid attended BBI, Bible Baptist Institute, night school, for three years while still in high school, then attended Cedarville University, but didnt finish college. Instead Florence went home and married William Reid, whom she met in church. They had 24 good years together before he went to meet his Heavenly Father. They have 9 children, 21 grandchildren, and as of this writing, 14 great-grandchildren. In the course of her life, Florence taught Sunday School preteens, taught Bible Clubs in three different school after hours, played the piano at church, besides raising 9 children, and outings with preteens, with her children along. Florence loves to read scifi, mysteries, love stories, history, and intrigue, besides the Bible. She started writing when in her late 30s, then spent time rewriting and making them better. For hobbies she sews, embroiders, creates doilies and snowflakes, and knits, and occasionally paints outdoor scenes.

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Copyright © 2016 by Florence Joanne Reid.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Rev. date: 02/03/2016

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CONTENTS

WYLCHE PENINSULA MAP, MAP BY FLORENCE

PROLOGUE

Pelingre Castle 1555.0724

ONE

Galleo 1555.0804

Wylche 1555.0804

TWO

Isle of the Dragon 1555.0822

Isle of the Dragons 1555.0905

Isle of the Dragons 1555.1021

Thanos 1555.1024

THREE

Isle of the Dragons 1556.0204

Hidden Cave 1556.0205

Thanos 1556.0404

Thanos 1556.0414

Heun 1556.0417

Samos 1556.0501

Isle of the Dragons 1556.0505

Heun 1556.0521

Galleo 1556.0529

FOUR

Thanos 1556.0704

Isle of the Dragon 1556.0714

Isle of the Dragons 1556.0716

Galleo 1556.0719

Isle of the Dragon 1556.0722

FIVE

Two Rivers 1556.0808

Bryn 1556.0817

Isle of the Dragons 1556.0817

Two Rivers 1556.0822

Darcy 1556.0911

Rankin 1556.0921

SIX

Baka 1556.1010

Isle of the Dragons 1556.1022

Isle of the Dragons 1556.1120

Silver Castle 1556.1124

Heun 1556.1205

Silverdane 1556.1214

SEVEN

Marga 1557.0119

Lichen 1557.0205

Thanos 1557.0220

Marga 1557.0228

EIGHT

Wylche Peninsula 1557.0405

Wylche Peninsula 1557.0407

Luoma 1557.0407

NINE

Isle Of The Dragons 1557.0409

Thanos 1557.0504

Galleo 1557.0520

Wylche Peninsula 1557.0522

TEN

Galleo 1557.0630

Wylche Peninsula 1557.0708

Freedom 1557.0903

ELEVEN

Silverdane 1557.0928

Dakes 1558.0109

Thanos 1558.0122

TWELVE

Weber 1558.0126

Dakes 1558.0203

THIRTEEN

Silverdane 1558.0303

Isle of the Dragons 1558.0309

Isle of the Dragons 1558.0321

Dakes 1558.0330

Galleo 1558.0404

FOURTEEN

Samos 1558.0406

Wylche 1558.0408

Dakes 1558.0424

Wylche 1558.0505

FIFTEEN

Freedom 1558.0603

Silverdane 1558.0605

Silverdane 1558.0611

Wylche 1558.0626

SIXTEEN

Isle of the Dragons 1558.0712

Wylche 1558.0724

Dakes 1558.0804

Thanos 1558.0815

SEVENTEEN

Thanos 1558.0816

Marga 1558.0816

Baka 1558.0818

Isle of the Dragons 1558.0821

Thanos 1558.0821

Thanos 1558.0822

Two Rivers 1558.0822

Galleo 1558.0822

MAJOR CHARACTERS

OATHS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Dedicated in memory of my son Jim Reid who not only

inspired the Remgeldon story, but worked with me on the outline.

Map%20of%20Wylche%20Peninsula.jpg

Wylche Peninsula Map, map by Florence

PROLOGUE

A LOOK BACK

PELINGRE CASTLE 1555.0724

THE THRONE ROOM AT THANOS

H igh King Halvard sat in the easy chair, feet propped up on a stool. He was in the family room on the second floor of the castle. A low fire burned in the fireplace. He didn’t really need a fire, not in the middle of summer, even this late in the evening, but he enjoyed watching the flames. The fire didn’t seem to be putting out any heat. It was always comfortable inside the castle.

He sat there contemplating the war, a war long over for Thanos. This was the time of the dragons now. Magic dragons. Halvard presumed it was what was needed to win against Master Mage Zandrax. The man was a menace to society. He was also Savanal’s older brother Alexander.

As of this year there were forty-two dragons. Four were Queens, one wild. There were fifteen browns, five greens, five blues, seven apricots and six rubys. After Felayna’s women fighters, and elven archers, it didn’t surprise the King that sixteen women readily took to becoming dragonriders. Twenty-one men partnered dragons.

Well, he couldn’t very well count Darak, so that made twenty fighters. Darak would never be part of a fighting squadron. He trained men for the army.

But Kalan and Silk got brown dragons. That was important. And Kalan’s brothers Thon and Holin, and Kalan’s son Slade and Slade’s friend, Janatar had dragons, even if Janatar got a green. That was back in ’54 when nobody knew anything about dragons. But earlier this year all the dragonets got partners. From that first batch, nine were wild, or didn’t have a partner. He thought that might change over time.

But of the browns this year, his son Darton got one, and Leander got one. He didn’t know the names of any of the other men who got dragons this year.

He had just gotten into a good think on the subject when his fourteen year old son Waldon walked in. Unannounced. And took a seat in the easy chair beside him that was his mother’s chair. Savanal had gone to bed over an hour ago. He had joined her for a while, but he had some thinking to do.

Halvard didn’t even raise his eyebrows.

What are you doing here Waldon? Aren’t you supposed to be at Two Rivers?

It’s mom’s birthday. Thought I’d drop in.

At that Halvard raised a dark eyebrow. So it was. She was eight years younger than him. That made her fifty-three.

We found out what Zandrax is up to, Waldon said.

What’s that? You didn’t investigate, did you? It would so be like this surprising son.

No, not likely. He laughed. I don’t know who went south to see what was happening at Galleo. News came through Kalan’s dragon. We knew Zandrax called up a dragon from the Deep.

Halvard nodded. He’s had a warning from the Seven Gods who ruled this world to expect more trouble from that mage to the tune of a black dragon. End of the war the Master Mage Rydl, having been living in the form of a man for—he didn’t know how long—had used magic, using Darius and three other student mages, and changed back into his natural form of a dragon. A brown dragon. And Darius had become his rider.

His daughter Ariella, dead the past nineteen years, with the help of Rygl two years ago, had created Rachah, a golden dragon, to be Rydl’s mate, with Dariella her rider. Only three months ago Rachah’s second batch of dragon eggs had hatched on the Isle of the Dragons. Several people had taken to the dragons, feeding them, and caring for them.

His sons would eventually become dragonriders. As that thought popped into his head, Halvard frowned.

How did you get here? I know you were up at Two Rivers.

I rode a horse, Father. Okay if I stay the night?

Of course. What is that mage up to now?

Attempting to ride his dragon.

And that news comes from… ?

Waldon shrugged. I presume from Lord Darak.

Why else are you here Waldon? He became suspicious.

He hesitated, but then said, Lord Darak thought it was time that Jovian came up to Two Rivers to start his training.

The war’s over. Jovian was only twelve.

Dragonriders are to be trained in all manner of fighting techniques. The war here at Thanos is over, but not at Wylche, or Dakes, or in our southern regions. Lord Darak says we’ll be fighting for a good long while yet. And next year I’m hoping to become a dragonrider like Darton did a few weeks ago.

Halvard nodded. All his sons, Darton, Waldon and Jovian would become dragonriders in time, except Charidan. Charidan was already thirty-four, married sixteen years, with six children of his own. His oldest son, Bragan, was only a few months older than Waldon. But Jovian was only twelve. That thought went through his head again, in a flash.

The younger he starts the better, so I’m told, Waldon said. Lord Darak said I could stay a week to give you and mother time to adjust to Jovian moving up to Two Rivers Castle. You’ll at least have Kasy left here, and all of Charidan’s girls, Carlea, Idella, Erina, Vanna and Adeana.

Bragan, his nephew, was with him up at Two Rivers training in sword play, and other weaponry, like archery practice, and a few other throwing weapons, like knives and barbed disks. Lord Darak made it seem like play, but it was serious play. And deadly for whatever enemy went up against them. As always, Waldon and Bragan competed, and they were both very good at what they did. They would get better, of that Waldon was sure.

Halvard didn’t want to send his youngest son up there. Not yet.

If Jovian gets homesick he can always ride a horse back here, Waldon offered. And I’ll ride with him, and stay with him a couple days before we return to Two Rivers Castle.

Halvard met his son’s eyes, and he wondered if Waldon was here because he was a little homesick, and picking up his younger brother was an excuse to be here.

I’ll talk to your mother. She’ll need a couple days to get used to the idea that Jovian will be leaving home, if only fifty miles north. That’s an all-day ride.

Yeah, and I’m famished, Waldon said. Okay if I go to the kitchen to see what’s left over from dinner?

Halvard nodded. That’s probably where you’ll find Jovian. That boy’s growing like a weed.

Waldon stood and grinned. When I left he was a wee bit taller than me.

You’re only fourteen, Halvard said. Growth doesn’t stop until about twenty. You’ve a ways to go yet.

Waldon sure hoped so.

A week later Waldon was leading Jovian up the road to Two Rivers Castle where he would start taking fighter training, along with going to school. They all went to school. One day they would all be Kings somewhere in the south, so they had to learn how to take care of a castle, and all that pertained to being a king.

ONE

GALLEO 1555.0804

A fter months of trying to teach his black dragon, Ebony, a thing or two about flying a rider, Zandrax was about ready to throw in the towel and send Ebony back into void of the Deep.

Sensing what Zandrax had in mind, Ebony decided to cooperate, for the mage had the upper hand. He could send him back. He had no notion of returning to the Deep now that he was set free. Besides, Zandrax had said he could have a Queen mate.

From Zandrax’s mind he had picked up exactly how it was done. Mate with the female then kill them. He could do that.

Once the dragon began cooperating, they went out daily on flights. Zandrax loved flying high, then swooping down on unsuspecting victims on the ground, then having Ebony kill them with his claws, rend them to shreds, then eat the remains. He too, had heard the rumors of Dragon Lords coming to rescue these people from the tyranny of Queen Adrianna and Zandrax the Master Mage.

Zandrax let them know that no one was coming to rescue them, that he and the Queen ruled supreme in the southland.

On this day, a long overdue spy returned to Grabaski Castle. As a show of his authority he saw the man in the Throne Room, himself seated up on the throne. Adrianna seldom came to the lower floor any more, more concerned with satisfying the lusts of her flesh with her guards than what was going on in the kingdom. He wondered if he should alter the spell he’d cast upon her to let her know how he was feeling now that he could not be the one to satisfy those sexual fantasies.

The spy was a natty looking young man, with dark hair precisely combed and waved, and dressed in the latest fashion, and clean. The guards had obviously taken him below to the baths before coming before him.

What’s the news in the north?

"My liege, I have much to report. I’ve been to the Isle of the Dragons. The reason it took so long is that I got on a work crew there. They’re building a huge city on the shore, called Dragontown. The dwarves are in charge of the project. No walled city, sire. In this city they’re building homes side by side, connected, so they take up less space, and building hundreds of them. They are, in fact, taking in refugees. Hundreds come in daily.

"Just before I left the island, my liege, the Lords and Ladies, and their families, from Luoma, Serra, Rankin, Darcy and Callam came in, all in separate ships. King Halvard also sent all his family to the island where the God Darius could watch over them. He has three sisters, and they account for eight nephews and twelve nieces. There was talk of them becoming dragonriders, my Lord.

Speaking of which, the spy went on, Prince Kalandri is in command of the dragons and their riders. Last year eighteen dragon eggs hatched. This year there were twenty-four. That’s forty-one dragons, my liege. Not all of them have riders, though. Of the first eighteen, only half have riders. The spy grinned. "King Halvard and Queen Savanal attended that hatching. It’s said that two of their children will be dragonriders, that they were accepted by the dragonets when they hatched.

There’s also word going around that King Halvard is to be the last of the High Kings, that when he’s dead there’ll be no more, and that in the future Kings will be replaced by Dragon Lords.

And what is Lord Darius doing these days? Zandrax demanded.

He is in charge of building the city, my liege, and of building new hatcheries. With this last batch of eggs that hatched there are five queen dragons now, but only four have riders. One golden queen is with the wild ones.

Then Prince Kalandri has sole charge of the dragons?

Aye, my liege. He’s the Dragon Lord, the first of his kind, said the spy.

Not Lord Darius?

The spy shook his head. Lord Darius is the Guardian, my Lord, Lord God of this world. He can’t be both.

What of his father, Lord Darak? Zandrax demanded.

He comes and goes from the island, but he mainly stays at Two Rivers, at his castle, fifty miles north of Thanos where he has a staff that train soldiers. He’s turning out two to three thousand fighters a year, he added. "I trust your other couriers have told you that news. He sends the new men to Thanos, and then General Colbert sends older men to the front lines. There was talk of moving those lines forward another ten miles, so they’d be within a few miles of the Central Caravan road. And if they do that this summer, they’ll move in and take over Luoma so they don’t have enemy soldiers at their back near Dakes.

They already hold all roads leading south to that caravan road, the spy continued, and I heard there were twenty roads, with two thousand soldiers holding each road. That’s forty thousand men, my liege, with another fifteen thousand at Thanos, and every city in the north has another five to ten thousand soldiers stationed in them.

Zandrax was appalled at this news. He had not thought the North could muster so great an army.

And have you learned where they are to attack next?

No, my Lord, said the spy. But King Philipi of Wylche was on the island, and I heard that he and the High King had long talks. I would guess they intend to take Wylche. Then they’ll push all our soldiers into Dakes. I heard a rumor too, that the High King wants to make Dakes into a sixth Province, but he’s going to name a dragonrider as the ruler, not a King. And as soon as that dragon takes possession of Dakes all magic, except for dragon magic, will cease to exist.

Can you return to the Isle of the Dragons and work on that construction project again?

Yes, my liege. I told the crew boss that I needed to go to the mainland to fetch my family to safety. Seeing I have no family, I’ll tell him that they were killed at Samos. A lot of people were killed at Samos. They’ll believe that. Much of King Philipi’s family was killed, for they lived at Samos. He grinned. Two of his daughters, their husbands, and most of their children were killed. One escaped, and took three of her sisters children to safety. She’s now a dragonrider. One of the new batch, my Lord. And Philipi’s only son is a dragonrider, out of the same new batch. It’ll be a year or more before they’ll be flying.

Zandrax was determined to kill King Philipi, but he heard the spy. And when he did kill the king, Prince Leander would become King, and not only King, but also Dragon Lord over Wylche. He needed a way to kill Leander first, to wipe out that line completely.

What daughter escaped?

King Philipi’s youngest, my Lord, the Princess Karina. She saved his three oldest grandsons. If you kill Leander, then Philipi, you’ll also have to kill Prince Corin. He’s next in line for the throne, although he’s only eleven, then Prince Brock. Those two are in Verna’s line, his eldest daughter. Last in line is Prince Charon. Those last two boys are six years old.

Do you think you can get to them?

I don’t think so my liege. All the royal guests are housed at the castle guarded by the dragons, and those royal guests are the candidates for the next laying of dragon eggs. They all were to remain on the island. Forty highly skilled swordsman, not counting Prince Kalandri’s personal guards, guardsman, and about two dozen other swordsman, not to mention all the other elves who’ve come to this island just because Prince Kalandri’s there and his two brothers, and his son to guard the Royals.

Son! I didn’t know he had a son.

Prince Sladan, of Kovath. He’s half-human, but looks a full-blooded elf. Ages like an elf, so I was told, and should live a thousand years. Speaking of half-breeds, my Lord, I heard another surprising detail. Queen Savanal is a half-breed elf, and her last three sons have bred true to her elf side, and that those three sons were named Kings in the southland. Those sons might live a thousand years, so I heard. The first of them, Darton, has one of the dragons of this batch. There’ll come a day when he’ll fly down here, with a wing of twenty other dragons, to claim his land and castle.

Zandrax dismissed that as pure rumor. And if it were true, that dragonet wouldn’t be flying for another year. And how long would it take to get a wing of twenty dragons? Two more years? Three? Four? He had Ebony now. If Ebony stole one of their queens for mating, then they could start raising dragons. It would be a standoff.

When do the three queen dragons rise for mating?

Story goes they have to be two years old, then any time after that. Third month of next year they’ll be two years old. Before that year’s over, they expect the mating, and sixty to eighty new dragons, for not only will the three Queens mate, so will the other female dragons, except they don’t expect as many eggs from them as from the Queens. I heard maybe only four or five eggs each from all other female dragons. Prince Kalandri’s calling for a lot of young men and women to come to the island who’d like to become dragonriders. Fifteen’s the youngest they can be to be a candidate.

Eighty dragons! Zandrax said in alarm.

The spy nodded. And after the new queens start laying eggs, with the old queens laying too, the Dragon Lord expects a hundred twenty new dragons a year from then on, until the next queens mature and start laying. Then one hundred sixty in ’57, and two hundred in ’58 and every year thereafter, sire. And more. With each queen laying one more queen egg.

Were there only the two Kings at the hatching? Zandrax thought to ask, while his mind was running a mile a minute on how to capture one, or more, of those queen eggs. Ebony could have his own harem of queens, and at the same time deprive the north of another twenty dragons.

Kings Halvard, Philipi and Raymon. King Rantriel and King Byram didn’t attend. King Byram’s too old to go traveling around the countryside every time something important happens. I heard that Flagg, grandson to Byram, has been named his legal heir to the throne. Flagg’s spending most of his time on the Isle these days, usually with Lord Darius and Princess Dariella and the twins.

Twins?

The spy nodded, eager to tell his tale, and hoped for a rich reward. "Darius and Dariella had twins last year, a boy and a girl. Don’t recall their names. They’ll soon be a year old. Prince Kalandri and his wife had a son last year, and he should be a year old soon, too. Same with Prince Jandal, or King Jandal, which ever you want to call him. Him and his wife had a son last year, and he’ll soon be a year old. This is the man who was named King of Grabaski Castle. It’s said that since our Queen killed all the Royals here, and her husband, the King, she has no legal right to the throne here at Galleo.

"Prince Jandal is supposed to be the last of the southern Royals, my Lord. Seems he was visiting just over the boarder when the Queen took the notion to have all the Royals killed. He was the son of the King of Hogue, the youngest son, and now it seems the last survivor of all our Royal families. It’s also said that Queen Adrianna had no right in naming Kings of our lands, that it’s the job of the High King and no one else.

So the High King, went on the spy, named his last three sons Kings of our lands, and as soon as they’re old enough they’ll be taking over, not as Kings, but as Dragon Lords. With Jandal, that makes four Kings. The fifth was chosen from the elven nation, the youngest of King Rantriel’s sons, Prince Adric, and he was named King of Hogue.

Does everyone in the north know of this?

The spy nodded. It’s openly talked about in the taverns, my liege. It’s said that the High King has a master plan and that he’s slowly making it known. One of those plans is to continually push his army southward. This summer they intend to hold that ten miles line north of the caravan route from the east to the west coast, but next summer they plan on camping beside that road. If we don’t consolidate our army this summer, they’ll be separated into tiny pockets and slaughtered where they camp.

For months now Zandrax had been moving his troops around so no one would guess how few he had near Wylche, which barely numbered fifteen thousand, a sad cry from the fifty thousand of two years ago. He was still sure that the caravan guards were spies for the north so had men watching those caravans. On the other hand, he still had several thousand troops at Dakes. He could withdraw his troops from Wylche; he’d already killed all the Lords and Ladies, and all their families. Only the elusive King Philipi remained, and his two brats and three grandsons. But they weren’t at Wylche.

King Philipi is hole up at Velka, my liege, and running the army from there and from there plans on retaking the Royal Castle. There’s only three thousand soldiers camped out on the Velka road leading from the castle to where the King’s staying. There were four dragons with the army, but all dragons were recalled to the Isle, and the same with the dragonriders.

Now that is the vital piece of information I need to get to that King. Once I can get my troops up the Velka road I can kill that King, then go on up and kill King Raymon. I can come back down to Thanos to get Halvard.

When I left the Isle, I took ship and landed at Wylche on the Sea. I came across the Central Caravan route. Our troops have been guilty of stealing horses from all the ranches in the area. They should all be ahorse by now. Many of those ranchers turned their stock loose in the hills, but our men have been resourceful in capturing many of those horses. From Wylche it’s only a two day ride to Velka.

Zandrax nodded. It was time he mounted a raid on Velka. He would go to Wylche, to the Royal Castle. Or better still, the Lords Castle at Wylche on the Sea, for that’s where he last left Trygre in charge.

Have you more news.

The spy shook his head. I’ve run dry, my liege.

I want you to return to the Isle of the Dragons. This time stay a full year. Next year about this time return here to report. You can always say you’re visiting your sister or brother.

I have none, my Lord. They were all killed.

As you said, so was your wife. Make up any relatives you wish to visit on the mainland. He dismissed the man with a wave of his hand, but sent him to the treasury room with a note.

Almost as soon as he was done, Adrianna came into the Throne Room. She didn’t make it halfway across the room before she demanded that he raise her up a dragon.

I can’t! Ebony was the only dragon.

I want a dragon Zandrax!

Not until next year, my Sweet. There’s a queen dragon on the Isle of the Dragons that I’m going to have Ebony mate with. He’ll bring her here to lay her eggs. She will become your dragon. You’ll be able to fly anywhere in the blink of an eye. He was glad he’d thought about that angle. Get her off his back.

You can’t get one from where you got Ebony?

There was only one. I’m told there’s a wild queen, one no one else chose, so she doesn’t have a rider. I promise, my Dear, by this time next year you’ll have your very own dragon.

She would have stayed to argue longer, but a wave of desire struck her so fiercely that she must return to her rooms for immediate attention by her guards. She missed seeing Zandrax’s fingers move, and his lips, as he whispered the spell that sent her into a lustful fit.

The mage sat on his throne contemplating the Queen, who was not a queen. He’d known that for quite some time. Then it dawned on him that by having a dragon, he was a Dragon Lord. He laughed aloud. He had more power now than Adrianna. Let her have her little pleasures. He wished he could work the same magic on himself. But that lustfulness was past history for him. He was hoping, though, that the mating lust of the dragon would renew his interest in mating again, and not just give him an unenduring pain in the lower gut that could not be satisfied.

WYLCHE 1555.0804

That night he flew to the castle at Wylche where he’d last left Trygre. He learned that Trygre was dead, killed five days ago when a caravan had been in town. Most of the castle staff —who had been Trygre’s men—were all dead, killed about the same time. And it was reported that the caravan had double guards, all elves. No one ruled in the castle, and no one commanded his army.

Zandrax was becoming thoroughly vexed with his half-brother sending his warrior elves down here to thwart his war efforts.

He also discovered that although he had fifteen thousand men in Wylche, not more than two thousand were in the city of Wylche by the Sea. The rest were scattered all the way down to Pucel, and along the highway, and a few down into Gathe. It would take weeks to round up even half of them. Frustrated, all he could tell his men was to be at Wylche the spring of ’56, right after the snows melted.

A week later, leaving General Erdman in command to carry out his orders, Zandrax returned to Galleo, there to pace the Throne Room. An hour after his return Adrianna put in an appearance.

I thought you’d be gone longer than a week.

Trygre got himself killed, thanks to Rantriel’s assassins. By the fates of the Gods, I’ve a notion to send an assassin into Salator to kill my half-brother.

You’re not on that kick again, are you? Where do you get off calling yourself brother to that elven King?

Probably because he is my brother, and he’s sending his elves in to stop me from ruling this world. He continued to pace, while she took a seat on her throne.

You really are serious, aren’t you? Rantriel is your half-brother?

Zandrax barely held his rising temper in check.

I told you twenty-odd years ago that my real name was Prince Alexander, a prince of Salator, and yes, that King Rantriel was my half-brother. With his elves killing Trygre he’s stopped me from gathering my forces to take them up to Velka to kill King Philipi. He scowled in his pacing, then turned to face Adrianna. Well, Philipi has no Lords left, except the ones at Velka. His whole Province is in ruin.

What of Dakes?

He gave a snort. Dakes! What isn’t rock solid mountains, is soupy swamp. Only the seaports can support life. Halvard’s thinking of splitting Thanos, making Dakes a Province. Heaven only knows where he’ll make that division.

I suppose if Rantriel really is your half-brother, then King Halvard really is your brother-in-law.

Zandrax gritted his teeth. I told you he married my sister Savanal.

I suppose we could get married.

A hysterical laugh erupted from Zandrax’s lips. He had to presume her castle spies had reported what his spy had reported to him, and she came to the same conclusions. He had more power than she. He was a new Dragon Lord, and when the northern army claimed these southlands, she would either be put to death, or thrown in the dungeons as a murderess. He didn’t care to think what they’d do to him if they caught him. On the other hand, they might have superior forces now, but he was winning. The whole southland was devastated with no Royals to rule,