Page 51 of Consort's Dragon
“The loss of lives was regrettable, however, we are talking about saving the entire world.Zhos would have eventually escaped.Better to do so now while we have the means to handle it.”
“But he’s only escaping because they”—she pointed to the viziers—“told Basil where to find the eggs and encouraged him to remove them.”
“You see that as an act of evil, and yet, had we not led Basil down that path, they would have languished for only another century before being discovered,” Kachezi murmured, her eyes turning milky.“An explorer named Jonas would have found the ancient hidden city of Ultilina and discovered the strange rocks.He would have taken them to market.Sold them all to curious buyers.Three would have been lost at sea.Another would have ended up on a mantle in a parlor.Only one of the eggs would have hatched and its dragon would have refused to do anything when Zhos emerged.Within a decade, all of humanity would have perished.”
Avera listened and couldn’t help but feel horrified by the prediction.“Surely it would have been better to simply ensure this Jonas never found them.”
“Jonas could have been killed, but then Bartholomew would have been the one to take his place.And if not him, then Kerrianne, the shepherdess who wandered into Fraegus Spire looking for ewes missing from her flock.”Kachezi rolled her shoulders.“The stones were never meant to be a permanent solution.”
“So you manipulated Basil into taking them, and he in turn had no idea what he’d unleashed.You could have warned him, or at the least encouraged the Verlorians to flee.”
Kachezi bowed her head.“While I saw the birth of the dragon, I didn’t see the destruction it would cause.Keep in mind, we were familiar with our own volcano.Mount Ygnis never caused such devastation when it erupted.”
A plausible explanation, but Avera remained unsatisfied.“Because of your actions, Verlora’s been inhabitable for close to thirty years.Thirty years of you waiting to act.Thirty years of Zhos getting stronger.Expanding its reach.”
“Thirty years of us waiting for the one who could retrieve the stones.For the one who could lead us into the future.For the right alignment that would allow us to send Zhos back from whence it came.”Klothi finally looked Avera in the eye as she said, “We’ve been waiting for the day when you would set forth on destiny’s path.It wasn’t something that could be rushed.Not something we could tell you for fear of changing the outcome.”
“Yet you’re telling me now.”
“Because everything that was expected has come to pass.Once the dragons are released, then it will be a moment for triumph a thousand years in the making.”
Avera glanced at Titus.“I assume you already knew all this.”
He nodded.“Yes.I’ll admit it was difficult for me to grasp.Like you, I am impatient.I want things done immediately.However, given the precarious nature of what we must achieve, I was heavily cautioned to not rush.”
Pretty explanations that glossed over the trauma Avera had suffered.A neglected childhood, a family murdered, accusations that stole her throne, a quest that almost saw her die and cost the lives of others.
But if it would result in Zhos no longer being a threat, saving thousands of lives, wouldn’t that be worth it?
Servants entered the tent bearing trays of steaming food.
“Let us nourish our bodies while your intellect digests what we’ve revealed,” Klothi stated with a clap of her hands.Odd how the youngest appeared to be in charge.
Filling her mouth with savory meat and potatoes kept Avera silent, but her thoughts churned.For all that had been revealed, she sensed they held back.
Over the meal, her gaze strayed often to Klothi, the vizier’s visage familiar, but for some reason she couldn’t place her.
During dessert, Karoki broke the silence by saying, “You met the dragon on Verlora.”
“I wouldn’t say met.We exchanged a look when I took the eggs,” was Avera’s dry reply.She still remembered her fear it would roast her.
“Did it speak?”Karoki asked.
“How could a dragon speak?It is an animal.”
“Dragons are more than mere beasts.Did you perchance hear a voice in your head?”Karoki questioned.
The recollection had Avera gasping.“I thought I imagined it.You’re saying it was the dragon?”
“Yes.Their jaws can’t exactly pronounce our language and, given their advanced intellect, they have found other ways to communicate.”
“What else can they do other than fly and breathe fire?”Titus inquired.
“A dragon’s skills will vary.When newly hatched, they are as the stories depict, oversized flying lizards who spew flames and eat anything that moves.However, as they age and overcome their hunger, they settle down.For example, they won’t decimate herds knowing they need to keep some to propagate.They will converse with those who can hear them.The ancient texts claimed some can do feats of magic,” Klothi explained, waving her hands.Her lips then curved.“Why, I’ve even read an account where it is claimed they could take human form.”
Avera snorted.“I have a hard time imagining that.I mean, given their size, it would be a gigantic person.Fairly noticeable, and not something ever mentioned in any history or even children’s fables.”
“Not entirely true.A long time ago, someone wrote in their diary that it happened and that dragons co-mingling with humans is how the blooded came into existence.Such a pairing would explain why the blooded have special abilities,” teased Klothi.
