The War of the Masters

Why did Lozarrik send a Bloody Bones?

As Terra sat patiently, she couldn’t help but wonder what her eldest brother was up to. True, the Bloody Bones was one of the few creatures able to reach them on the floating islands, but Lozarrik had some of the strongest monsters in the world under his command . . . not to mention Dameon.

Although she didn’t know much about Dameon, she had heard hushed rumors circulating through Candore. Even her siblings had mentioned his name with a certain degree of uneasiness.

So, was Lozarrik really trying to kill us? Was he sending a message, or was this all just a test?

Terra sighed. I hate these mind games; I never wanted to be a part of this war.

Cyrus put a hand on her shoulder and gave a slight nod at the cavern exit. It had been an hour since they’d seen the Dragon Riders heading for his home country of Koh’Lah, and they had used the downtime to eat some fruit picked from the trees. Terra didn’t like the idea of the Riders having a head start, but she knew T’Saunté couldn’t have fought them all. Better to wait and sneak through the country undetected.

Rising to her feet, Terra watched as Cyrus dared to step out into the direct moonlight. Cautiously he snuck over to the creek flowing through the heart of the island. The last hour had given them plenty of time to think of a good escape plan.

Cyrus glanced at the other floating islands, keeping a vigilant eye out for dragons. Hesitantly he waved them forward, allowing Terra and T’Saunté to slip into the creek first before diving in behind them. Submerged up to their necks, they let the rushing water carry them toward the waterfall. The dull roar of the crashing waves grew louder and louder as they neared. Terra swallowed hard, hoping the plan would work.

Every fiber of her being told her to climb out of the creek before they reached the waterfall, but Terra knew this would be their best chance to escape unnoticed. She took a deep breath as the water pushed her over the edge.

And they plummeted into the moonlit sky.

Terra felt her body become weightless. What was once running water now hovered in droplets beside her. Cool air whipped at her clothes as she picked up speed. Below her, Terra saw T’Saunté making his transformation into the mighty dragon that had carried them to the floating islands. Water hit his outstretched wings like an oversized umbrella, running down his back and dripping off the end of his tail. In a flash, he swooped over and caught her on his massive shoulders, then Cyrus directly behind her. Cyrus grunted as he landed hard on the thick, plate-like scales.

T’Saunté pulled his sleek blue wings tight to his side and dived with the falling water until they were safely through the clouds.

“Looks like we made it,” Terra said.

“Yeah, but let’s cut back on the skydiving.”

Terra flashed a smile. “I think we can agree on that.”

“So how long will it take us to reach Evidria?” Cyrus asked, obviously worried about his hometown.

“Soon. Hopefully we should be there within the hour.”

Cyrus was grateful for T’Saunté’s tremendous speed, but he still wished they could arrive sooner. He couldn’t shake the thought of what the Savage King might do if his parents were captured. But in the meantime, it did give him an opportunity to get some answers.

“You mentioned earlier that the war is mostly fought in the Unknown Regions,” Cyrus said. “I know it’s a continent east of Candore, but what’s so important about it?”

“The Unknown Regions is home to nearly every non-human sentient,” Terra explained. “Some of the most powerful creatures on the planet reside there. Once a member of the royal family has completed the Ritual of Adulthood, they are sent there to enslave an army.” Terra let her last words trail off. It was obvious she wasn’t proud of her roots.

“Except you,” he said, trying to cheer her up. “You walk a different path, and that’s your greatest strength.”

“My family would call it my greatest weakness.”

“Caring for others isn’t a weakness,” he countered. “It was only together that we were able to stop the Bloody Bones. Your siblings fight for their own personal gain, but you fight for what’s right; I saw it when you stood up to your father for me.”

For a long moment Terra didn’t say anything, and the silence made Cyrus wonder if he had said something wrong. Finally he snuck a peek over her shoulder. Her face was flushed and she wore an awkward smile.

She’s blushing, he realized. Cyrus leaned back and smiled as well.

“Cyrus . . .” Terra said at last, breaking the long silence.

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“No. Thank you. We’ll endure this. We just need to take it one step at a time.”

Terra gave a firm nod and the rest of the flight passed mostly in silence. By the time they set down on the sandy beach just outside the city of Evidria, the sun was peeking over the ocean. T’Saunté morphed into his smaller form and Cyrus led them away from the beach and into the thick forest beyond.

“What’s the plan?” Terra asked.

“We still don’t know if the Dragon Riders have reached this city or not. Just in case, we better remain as inconspicuous as possible,” Cyrus said. Turning to the dragon, he added, “T’Saunté, can you stay behind? Even in your small form, you’ll draw a lot of attention in Evidria.”

T’Saunté paused and looked at Terra. When she nodded the dragon fixed Cyrus with a stern glare. After an uncomfortable moment, he stomped off to lay under a nearby tree.

“I’m pretty sure he just rolled his eyes at me,” Cyrus said incredulously. “Can dragons do that?”

Terra shrugged. “Dragons are smarter than most people realize. But the important thing is he’ll stay.”

“Wait, I’ve got a better idea.” Cyrus gazed out at the horizon and pointed. “T’Saunté, if we’re not back by the time the sun reaches where that cloud line is right now, come looking for us.”

Cyrus turned back to Terra. “That should give us two hours—plenty of time to get in, find my parents, and leave. But if something goes wrong, we have a contingency plan.”

Terra grinned. “I like the way you think.”

“What can I say? It’s a gift,” he replied with a wink.

Cyrus was pretty sure he heard T’Saunté give a derisive snort, but he ignored it. Leading the way, he and Terra ventured deeper into the forest until they crested a ridge. From there Cyrus could see his hometown through a break in the trees: a small city nestled into the side of a steep hill. The business district lay west of the port and up the slope. Beyond that were roads zig-zagging up the hill where the entire population lived, including Cyrus’s parents. At the very peak was the Governor’s mansion, looming large and proud, even from this distance.

But most importantly, the port was bustling with fishermen headed out to sea.

Good, this will make it easier to blend in with the masses.

Silently he and Terra crept down the hill and slipped nonchalantly into the crowd. At this time of day his father would usually be setting sail, but Cyrus knew that after his disappearance yesterday, his best bet would be to check their house first.

A trumpet blast interrupted Cyrus’s thoughts. He whipped his head around to see several Koh’Lahni soldiers stationed between the crowd and the ships.

“Attention, people of Evidria! This port is officially on lockdown,” one of the troopers announced. “If you would please make your way to the center of the market, our Captain will explain further.”

Confused murmurs bristled throughout the crowd. A few shouted their protest, but the bulk of the villagers grudgingly obeyed as the soldiers herded them up the hill.

Terra took hold of Cyrus’s arm, “Is this normal in Evidria?”

“No. Koh’Lah’s always been known for its free-spirited people. In the sixteen years I’ve lived here, not once has a group of soldiers interrupted our daily lives. Candore must have gotten the word out about us; let’s just hope they don’t know too much.”

Falling into line with the rest of the crowd, Cyrus searched for any gaps in the soldiers’ ranks. A moment later he found it.

Slowly he led Terra toward the edge of the marching crowd, and when he was sure no guards were watching he pulled her into a narrow alley. From there they could see the center of the market where the people were being led.

“Attention!” the Guard Captain yelled out, standing atop a box. “Many of you are wondering why we’re searching the town. It seems our ally, the great kingdom of Candore, is hunting a fugitive and they have reason to believe he may come here to Evidria. They do not know his name, but they supplied us with a sketch of his likeness.”

The Captain grabbed a scroll from one of the soldiers. He unrolled it and held the picture up for the crowd to see. The sketch had captured Cyrus’s broad shoulders, brown hair, brown eyes, and athletic physique, but the facial details were only vaguely similar.

“If you see this man, report him to the authorities immediately.” His threatening tone left no question that he meant business.

Cyrus leaned back, hiding himself behind a crate. “This is going to be harder than I thought. C’mon, let’s get out of here before they find us,” he whispered, leading Terra farther down the alley.

“I can’t believe your own country would turn on you like this,” Terra said, shaking her head.

“Koh’Lah can’t afford to offend Candore: without their protection, the Bergion Empire would conquer my country inside of a week. And I’m sure you’ve heard some of the grim stories about Bergi—”

“Cyrus, look!” Terra gasped, cutting off his train of thought.

Two soldiers were marching through the narrow alley, heading their way.

Cyrus glanced over his surroundings. No ladders they could climb. No cover they could hide behind.

Time to improvise.

Whirling around, he put his back to the guards and stepped in close to Terra.

“Sorry, but we have to give them a reason not to interrupt us.” Cyrus swallowed before saying his next words: “May I kiss you?”

Terra paused, looking Cyrus in the eyes. Her attention split back to the approaching soldiers and then she gave a slow nod. Cyrus leaned in close, but just before he reached her his stomach rumbled. The wild berries he’d eaten on the island weren’t sitting right. He looked at Terra; her eyes were closed and her lips slightly puckered. But he couldn’t stop what came next.

A putrid belch ripped from his mouth, wafting right in her face. Terra squealed and shoved him back . . . directly into one of the soldiers.

“Is everything all right here?” the soldier asked.

Oh, I messed that up . . . .

Cyrus barely turned his head, careful to show only his profile. He prayed they didn’t recognize him as the man on the paper. A flicker of movement caught his eye just behind the soldiers. A sewage cover tilted up, and Cyrus was shocked to see his friend, Tegrev, peeking out. Tegrev waved and then lowered himself back into the tunnel.

One of the soldiers stepped forward, reminding Cyrus that they were waiting for an answer.

All right, Cyrus. Find a way out of this.

A wide grin broke across his face. “Sorry, sir, it seems my girlfriend’s having some . . . digestive problems.”

Both soldiers stifled a laugh. “Is that true, miss?”

Terra looked mortified. “I . . . I’m afraid so. Sorry if I alarmed you.”

One of the guards snickered, and the other let out a hearty laugh.

“Carry on, you two lovebirds,” they replied, marching on.

A moment later Cyrus heard the other guard say, “Don’t you mean gasbirds?” Both soldiers laughed.

Once they were far enough away, Terra gave Cyrus a hard shove. “You told them I was the one with digestive issues?”

“I’m sorry, it’s all that came to mind. I was trying to think fast and keep their attention off of me,” Cyrus answered innocently, but he couldn’t hold back a mischievous grin. “We’d better get going before another patrol shows up.”

“All right, but don’t think I’m going to forget this,” Terra chided. Cyrus breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the hint of a smile play across her lips—she didn’t seem too worked up about it.

The clanking sound of a manhole cover sliding free caught his attention, and he saw Tegrev’s head pop up from the tunnels.

“Down here,” he called out, waving them on.

Cyrus led Terra to the manhole and carefully lowered himself in. The sewer collected both stormwater runoff and sanitary sewage, combining for a stench that was rank, but not as bad as he was expecting. The interior of the pipe system was composed of brick, with long, circular tunnels. He helped Terra down the ladder and turned to greet his childhood friend.

“Tegrev! I can’t thank you enough for helping us.”

“Don’t mention it,” the young man replied. He was slim and wiry, with grime stains smeared across his gray clothes. His hair was black and wavy, and his eyes had dark circles beneath them as though he hadn’t slept much recently. “What’s going on? Why are you the most wanted man in Koh’Lah all of a sudden?”

“It’s a long story.” Cyrus paused to look at Terra. “Let’s just say I infuriated the King of Candore.”

“The Savage King?” Tegrev said with an incredulous grin. “I’m surprised you lived to tell the tale. And who is this lovely lady?”

“I’m Terra,” the Princess said as she stepped forward and extended a hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

“You as well.” Tegrev shook her hand before continuing his conversation with Cyrus. “Why did you come back to Evidria if the Savage King is hunting you?”

“It’s only a matter of time before the authorities realize I am the one the King wants. Once that happens, they’ll take my family in, and Xyloth will have all the leverage he needs over us.” A shiver slipped between his shoulder blades. “I won’t let that happen.”

“I see your problem,” Tegrev said thoughtfully. “And the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I can help you get close: This sewage system runs throughout the entire town. I believe there’s a manhole not far from your parent’s house, but along the way we’ll stop by my camp and I’ll introduce you to Minous.”

Cyrus raised an eyebrow. He had no idea what camp Tegrev was talking about, but right now he was in no position to ask questions. The number one priority was getting to his parents, and that meant by any means possible.

“Lead the way, my friend.”