Zev ambled over to her and glowered. Well, that was the expression Dyna thought she could read from his wolfy face.
“We came all the way here for your fifth Guardian, but we are leaving without her?” Dyna guessed, deepening her voice to sound like his. Zev rolled his glowing eyes, and she smiled. “Yes, Zev.” She stroked his furry ears. “We must continue our journey. When it’s time, we will see Keena again.”
It was already foretold.
All Dyna had to do was wait.
CHAPTER 16
Zev
Raindrops beaded on Zev’s fur as he breathed in the scent of the earth and listened to the gentle trickle of rain on the leaves. It calmed his spirit, allowing him a rare peace he only found in the forest. They had trekked for two days across the wilds towards the south. The forest eventually ended when they neared the first signs of civilization.
Zev shifted back onto two legs and dressed before they moved onto a paved road. There were a few people traveling by, and with it came the hum of voices. A castle appeared atop the rocky peaks. It was a stronghold of stone overlooking the city below, bordering the coastal shores of the Saxe Sea. The deep maroon flags on the battlements flapped in the wind.
“The Kingdom of Argyle,” Rawn said as they came to a pause. He held Fair’s reins while Dyna sat in the saddle. “There be Hydell, the capital.”
“Aye, and a patron of ours,” Klyde told them as he tugged on Onyx’s reins, slowing his canter. “I need to make a short stop to see the king. Go on, I will catch up to you.”
Without waiting for a reply, he kicked his heels and cantered down the western road for the castle.
“To do what?” Lucenna wondered aloud as they watched Klyde ride away.
Zev wondered the same. “Should we wait?” he asked next to her.
“Of course, we’ll wait,” Dyna said thoughtfully, canting her head as she took in the view. Klyde was the holder of the Skelling dagger after all, so naturally she wanted to remain nearby. “Could we go closer? I want to get a better look if it’s safe.”
“Yes, my lady. It is safe.” Rawn led Fair followed along the paved road.
“Have you been here before?” Zev asked him.
“I passed through perhaps five years ago. Argyle is a peaceful kingdom, though it has not always been so.”
“Due to war?” Lucenna guessed.
“Not quite.”
They reached the drawbridge where merchants had gathered to sell goods. Not too many people were about beneath the overcast weather, though enough to notice them. Merchants called out, offering their wares. A few men lingered near an outdoor pub, watching them narrowly, but made no attempt to approach. Perhaps because of his intimidating size or Rawn’s weapons, or even the Hydell Guards patrolling the road.
There was a theme, Zev noticed. The wares, clothing, even the kingdom sigil on the breastplates of the guards, all bore the effigy of a black dragon.
“They tell a tale among these parts about the curse once placed upon Argyle,” Rawn told them. “There are many versions of the tale, but all recount the same thing. At the beginning of the second age, a powerful dragon, who lived in the Montezuma Mountains, met with the Argyle King. It declared this land as his but would permit the kingdom to remain under one condition. The dragon wished to wed the eldest princess. When the king denied him, he placed a dark curse that draped them in shadow for decades, keeping them trapped from the rest of the world. Against all odds, the princess broke the spell and slayed the dragon. In so doing, she stole his power and became the new dragon in the mountains, where she now eternally watches over her home.”
Lucenna exchanged an awed look with Dyna, and Rawn chuckled.
“Sounds more like a fantasy than truth,” Zev said, crossing his arms. “I thought dragons lived in the west.”
“Most do,” Rawn said, pausing deliberately before adding. “In some versions of the tale, the dragon was the God of Shadows.”
Now Zev was certain the story was merely a fairytale. Though, for some reason, a chill prickled his skin.
“I thought the Shadow God was defeated by Kahssiel and the Celestials?” Dyna said curiously. “And it took them many years.”
“Yes, that is so.”
“Then how could a simple mortal girl slay him?” Lucenna asked next, her eyes widening with interest.
Lord Norrlen smiled. “I cannot say for sure, my lady. There also once existed a race of fae dragons who could take human form, living in both land and sea. One of them once ruled the seas north of here. Perhaps that was the dragon she slayed. Nevertheless, whether the tale is true or not, Argyle has declared it their history, and many believe it. No other kingdom has dared to rise against them, for fear of rousing the dragon princess from her long sleep.”
