Page 32 of Kingdom of Locks

Feeling slightly disgruntled, Amell shifted in the saddle, causing both dragons’ eyes to flick back to him.

“Where are you going, out here all alone?” the yellow dragon asked suspiciously.

Amell shrugged. “To a site I wished to explore further. There’s a large clump of trees that’s so thick I couldn’t see inside it, and the area didn’t seem to match the map.”

“Did you leave this trail, leading to that site?” Dannsair asked.

Amell inclined his head in assent, and had the dubious satisfaction of seeing surprise cross both dragons’ faces.

“Perhaps he is more intelligent than he appears,” Dannsair mused.

“Thank you,” Amell said dryly, unable to help himself.

Dannsair nodded distractedly in acknowledgment of his gratitude.

“If you are minded to explore this…clump,” Rekavidur said, “we will not hinder you.”

Amell blinked. “Thank…you?”

The dragon had sounded like he was choosing every word with care, but Amell wasn’t at all sure what he was getting at. If he didn’t know better, he would almost think the dragon wanted to offer help, but that was impossible. Dragons didn’t help humans with human-cast enchantments. Assuming there was an enchantment on the area Amell was heading for.

He fell silent, thinking over the dragons’ words and his own observations. Was it possible the concealment magic they sensed came from that clump? Could some of the escaped prisoners have cast an enchantment to hide themselves, one strong enough to conceal not only them but the area in which they were sheltered? That would explain why the terrain didn’t match the map.

“But if there’s a concealment enchantment, I won’t be able to find a thing,” he muttered, mostly to himself. “I don’t have magic.”

“True,” Rekavidur said briskly. “You need an artifact.”

“A powerful one,” Dannsair agreed. “Given the strength of concealment magic we felt.”

Amell nodded dejectedly. Even if such an item could be found in Fernford, and even if his father was willing to give him access to it, he was going to have to abandon his hopes of searching the area on this trip. By the time he traveled to the capital and returned to the prison, any fugitives might well have left their hiding place.

“I don’t have one with me,” he said sadly. “So I suppose there’s not much point continuing.”

“No matter,” said Rekavidur, his voice placid. “Your cloak will do. I know from experience that such garments are capable of being excellent receptors for shielding magic.”

“Shielding magic?” Amell repeated blankly, running the thickly embroidered fabric of his traveling cloak between his finger and thumb.

“You need to be shielded from the concealment magic,” Rekavidur said, with a touch of impatience. “Now take it off.”

“Take it…but…” Amell started, more confused than ever.

“Where is the infamous hastiness of humans when it’s wanted?” sighed Rekavidur to Dannsair. The purple dragon gave a guttural chuckle that sounded like rocks being scraped violently together.

Equally bemused and intrigued, Amell slipped the cloak from around his shoulders and held it out to Rekavidur. In an alarmingly abrupt motion, the dragon seized it between his teeth and threw it up into the air. Amell was sure it would get snagged on a branch, but somehow it drifted free, floating down to the ground as if it was no heavier than a feather. During its journey down, Rekavidur opened his mouth like he had with the horse. But this time, when he breathed powerfully upon the cloak, the air shimmered with the heat of his breath.

After repeating the exercise a few times, the dragon snagged the falling cloak from the air like a dog pulling a stick from a stream. His expression serene, he snaked his neck forward and offered Amell back his own cloak.

Mouth and eyes both wide from the excitement of witnessing more dragon magic, Amell took the garment from the dragon’s outstretched jaws.

“This is an artifact now?” he asked, awed.

“That’s right.” Rekavidur confirmed. He didn’t say it, but the shimmering heat still lingering in the air reminded Amell that it wasn’t just any artifact. It was a dragon-made one, which meant it was incredibly strong.

“It will shield me from concealment magic?” he pressed. “So that it just…won’t apply to me? I’ll see whatever is supposed to be hidden?”

“That’s right,” Dannsair chimed in.

“Thank you,” said Amell, running his hand fervently over the doubly precious fabric. “But…” He looked up with a frown. “But I don’t understand. I didn’t ask you to do that. Don’t get me wrong,” he added hastily, “I’m extremely grateful. But I thought dragons weren’t supposed to help humans with magical problems.”

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