When I hatched, Gordon was already the second in command among the earth blessed.The prince, at the time, was the largest and meanest of the earth blessed.He did quite a few things badly, but top of the list was forcing any blessed he disliked to be offered as food to the other blessed.
It was effective—he stayed in power because his enemies died.
At least, itwaseffective until he decided the pretty golden dragon, although I was still quite young, was a threat.I’d shown a lot of promise from hatch, but as I grew, I could clearly do things that other earth blessed couldn’t.Most earth blessed had something they were great at—manipulating metals, encouraging new growth in plants, tunneling, shaping stone, or using some combination of materials to defend against other attacks.
I could do it all.
As word about me grew, Uriah knew he had to take action.The solution was simple, really.Each month, the earth blessed were expected to cull the older, the weaker, or the problematic blessed from their numbers—to feed the other blessed.Before they started voluntarily culling, the strike, water, and flame blessed would simply attack when they got hungry.It was chaotic, and there was a lot of collateral damage to all parties.By the time I was born, submitting a list of fodder to the other blessed was already established practice.
When my name showed up on the list, I wasn’t even very surprised.Euphrasia was the only one I could address it with.I’m not sure what to do,I said.I can’t very well submit to the demand.
No, I doubt a simple execution would be enough to kill you, even if you were inclined to allow it,Euphrasia said.Not to mention, the prophecy says our people need you.
But I can’t disclose that, either.No one can know.
Which means it’s time.Euphrasia’s smile was soft.Uriah has been a terrible leader—you shouldn’t regret replacing him.You’re doing a service to the others.
A challenge for leadership requires a ratifying vote, however.One of the earth blessed would have to support me when I challenged Uriah.It was a practice that made sense.Otherwise, every blessed named on the list would challenge Uriah, and he’d be stuck fighting every single blessed who was sent off as a sacrifice.
But ratifying someone’s challenge was risky.
If the person you ratified didn’t win, you’d find your name on the chow list the following week.
What if no one supports me?
Euphrasia shook her head.Then I guess your double affinities will be revealed.
I had a very nervous heart when I challenged Uriah.On the one claw, if I challenged him as Axel and lost...that would be bad.The threat of dying should be enough, really.But if I challenged him and no one ratified my claim?I’d have to out myself.
That might be worse.
It was still my best chance.When all the earth blessed gathered to see that week’s tribute off, I projected loudly.Axel Earth Blessed challenges Uriah, Prince of the Earth Blessed, to a fight for leadership.
Uriah laughed.
So did his supporters, which was basically all the earth blessed in attendance.He might have been feared rather than loved, but that was a common theme among our people.No one was beloved.It’s not our way.
Will anyone ratify this upstart hatchling?Uriah looked with a scowl.Every blessed there knew that if they supported me, they might die, too.
When no one spoke up, I began to catch individual earth blessed’s attention.None of them wanted to die, so they all slowly shook their heads.
Until Gordon.I ratify Axel Earth Blessed.He didn’t stop there, though.He should not have been named.He’s neither old, nor weak.His challenge is just.
Gordon wasn’t quite as large as Uriah, but he was fast.He was also quite strong, and his strike was vicious.I’d seen Gordon kill many earth blessed in challenges, and I’d seen him kill two water blessed and a strike blessed in altercations between our people.Even if I failed to defeat Uriah, I thought Gordon might have a chance against him.
That day, I had no idea what inspired him to speak against his ruler.Perhaps I should have known he had a good heart, but I didn’t really learn that until later.On that day, I simply knew that without him, my secret would have become common knowledge.My father might have killed me the second he discovered it.
I was an abomination, but Gordon’s support kept me alive, and after I defeated Uriah, ripping his head from his body, Gordon congratulated me on my success and asked to stay on as my second-in-command.He’s been by my side ever since.
I trust him.
He’s earned that trust by supporting me in everything for centuries.Together, we turned the earth blessed into a stable, strong group, in spite of the terrible lot we’d drawn of keeping the other blessed fed.
That’s part of the reason his insubordination over this human rankles so much.You should bond Liz to keep her safe.If it had beenanyone elsewho worried more about the well-being of my formerly-bonded human than me, I would have removed their head.
This isn’t about her.It’s so much bigger than ahuman.
“He’s right,” Liz says.“I’m absolutely positive that once Hyperion hears this news, he’ll round up all the dragons he can and attack human settlements, forcibly bonding brights until all the blessed have a bonded human.”
