Chapter One

Anzig

“Just take a deep breath, Boss. Everything will be alright.”

I turned to my left to face the silver dragon by my side and snarled. Vinzent had no right to judge me like that, but his words were probably true. I looked down at the terrifying sight below me. Representatives of the forty-two draconic clans packed the massive main chamber of the royal Xital clan almost to capacity. My father, the Ddraig of Laxtal, probably the greatest leader our clan had ever had, was busy fighting in the south so he required me to take his place. I, as the representative for Clan Laxtal, was to speak to the clans about the war that was devastating our land.

I had witnessed it already. We had been travelling in the western regions of Laxtal’s territory; a small group of drakes including my mother, whose adventuring spirit never let her stay in the confines of the central Lair. Travelling through the forests there, we hadn’t suspected any danger.

Then the ambush came and my memories become vague.

Somehow I escaped the carnage, fleeing through the undergrowth on paw. I had thought my mother was following just behind me. It wasn’t until silence fell and the threat was gone that I realised I was all alone. With great reluctance I retraced my steps. Nothing could have prepared me for my return to the scene of the ambush. The mutilated bodies of drakes I had known my entire life lay strewn across the small clearing between the trees. With no sign of our attackers, I scampered through the devastation, trying to find some signs of life in my companions.

Then I found her. Zhara, my mother, was lying in the mud with her wings shattered and blood pooling around her. She still lived – just. The spark in her eyes was already fading as she somehow mustered the strength to look up at me. She whispered my name and then she was gone...

“Boss? Are you alright?”

I ignored Vinzent as I tried to focus my mind. It was no use reliving my mother’s last moments.

“I’m not ready for this,” I whispered to Carlee, my aging, brown-scaled mentor. She had protected me for longer than I could remember, and had always been there to help me. Though I often resented that she still treated me like a hatchling who needed constant supervision, I was very grateful for her presence.

“Anzig, listen to Vinzent. For once, the youngster is actually right,” she admonished, just as quietly.

I looked back down at the sight below, and couldn’t quite bring myself to believe them. I half-opened my wings and contemplated flying down, but my legs didn’t want to kick off from the ground yet.

“Go, Anzig,” Carlee said, seeing my hesitation. “Your father has complete confidence in you. The entire clan has confidence in you, or else you wouldn’t be here. Just relax, you’re a natural leader, you’ll be fine.”

“I don’t feel like one,” I muttered, but I fully extended my wings anyway and slowly drifted down to the floor below. I tried to ignore all the pairs of eyes that turned to look at me. Without exception, they all turned away again as they submitted to me. As the representative of Clan Laxtal, I was one of the most powerful drakes in the chamber, even if I didn’t feel it. They recognised me by the azure stone I wore around my neck; the icon of Laxtal. Only Clan Nixa and the Royal Xital Clan were higher ranked than Laxtal.

As a result of my clan’s power, the Laxtal representative was reserved a position right at the front of the chamber. To our left was a single red dragoness from Clan Nixa, the clan of magic. She was slight in stature, but the way she held herself showed that she was not short on confidence. I tried to straighten my posture to match hers. I only needed to look confident; no one had ever told me I actually needed to feel it too.

To our right was a large emerald green dragon from Clan Nyri, the most powerful clan from the northern lands. Two smaller dragons, presumably his guards, stood by his side. I didn’t know much about Clan Nyri, just that they came from the very edge of the inhospitable and cold tundra to the far north.

In all, ten clans sat near the front of the chamber, with thirty-one filling in the space behind us. Clan Xital sat at the very front, facing out to all the drakes gathered before them. They were the unquestionable leaders of dragonkind. They would make the final decision on what was going to occur. Forty-two clans in total. Judging by the noise that was quickly building behind me, each and every single one of them had sent a representative.

I tried to block everything out behind me. It was much easier if I just imagined that the only other drakes in the chamber were the five Xital drakes in front of me. I recognised Ddraig Tsona right away. This large dragon with golden scales was Xital’s Ddraig, making him the outright leader of dragonkind. He was unusually agitated. Every time I had seen Ddraig Tsona in the past, he had been revealed no emotion, not moving at all except to speak. Now though, he was very animated. His tail moved in a constant back and forth motion while he looked around the chamber with jerky movements. His wings opened slightly as though ready for flight. That even he showed so much fear did not help my confidence at all, and I sunk just a little lower where I stood.

I waited. Carlee and Vinzent by my sides remained in silence. I tried to slow my breathing down, but I could feel my heart racing away inside my chest. I began to regret eating before coming here. I should have waited until after the gathering, but Carlee had convinced me that I would need the energy to shake off the night’s chill.

When Ddraig Tsona stepped forward from the other members of his clan, everyone fell silent. I could hear a fly buzzing somewhere near the ceiling, high above me.

“Gathered Ddraigs and Haeraigs,” the Xital Ddraig said quietly. Because of how the chamber was shaped, I knew that even the drakes at the very back would still be able to hear the Royal Dragon’s words. “We have called you all here at the requests of Clan Nixa and Clan Laxtal. They both have important issues to discuss. I ask that you hear them both out before speaking. Clan Laxtal, if you would like to speak first.”

I quailed under the direct gaze of Ddraig Tsona as he turned to look at me. I opened my mouth, but I was unable to speak. My heart felt like it was about to tear out of my chest. I shut my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. I could do this, I told myself. I didn’t know what I was going to say though. Everything I had planned to say was gone, chased from my mind by the abject terror I felt.

I slowly released the air from my lungs and opened my eyes again. I stepped forward, turned around and addressed everyone gathered.

“I am Haeraig Anzig of Clan Laxtal,” I announced in a small voice. I doubted the volume carried much farther than the Nixan dragoness almost right in front of me. I tried to speak a little louder. “My father, Ddraig Astar, couldn’t speak to you directly because bloodshed has broken out on our southern borders.”

I paused for a moment to look up at everyone, half expecting someone to speak out, to chase away this pretender who thought he had any influence over them. Against the lightly sanded floor of the chamber I could feel my paw shaking. I hoped no one else would notice, and I tried to stand a little more upright.

“We have been attacked without warning, and without provocation. We need the help of all of you to end the fighting, or else I fear we will lose, and many drakes of our clan will die,” I pleaded, forcing myself to meet the eye of a dragon close to the back of the chamber. The yellow-eyed dragon turned away and looked into the ground.

“Is this an accusation of any drake present, Haeraig Anzig?” Ddraig Tsona questioned, meeting my eyes as he looked over to me. I could not keep his powerful gaze for very long. I kept my eyes anywhere but towards him. I realised I had not actually mentioned who it was who had attacked my clan, and I felt foolish for it. A representative from every clan would be here. I was sure many of them – especially those that bordered Laxtal – would be confused or concerned that I was accusing someone of attacking us. But it was no drake who threatened Laxtal.

“It was humans who attacked us. They have crossed the Gota-Sxinix and have moved into our territory,” I explained, ignoring the whispers that began to spread through the chambers. I understood their concerns. Humans had not been in open war with dragonkind for many generations. In combat they were dangerous adversaries with their advantage in size, numbers, and in the weapons they had begun to make in recent years. Unless all the dragon clans united we would have a lot of difficulty in defeating such a threat.

To my right, Ddraig Tsona let out a quiet hiss and tilted his head to the side. Behind him, the other Xital drakes had remained impassive, barely doing so much as blinking. I found their behaviour disturbing. It was as though they had known exactly what I was going to say and had been prepared for it, and that their Ddraig’s reactions were just for show.

“You are sure of this, Haeraig?” Ddraig Tsona asked, still holding his head at an angle. I could only nod in response and he hissed again. “Thank you then for telling us about this. If Clan Nixa could come and speak now. Let us hear what they have to say.”

In gratitude I retreated away from the front of the chamber to rejoin Carlee and Vinzent. As I sat down the Nixan dragoness confidently strode up to take her place next to Tsona. Her dark red scales glittered regally in the sunlight streaming in from above. Even next to Ddraig Tsona, the most powerful of all Ddraigs, the small Nixan’s confidence and poise was remarkable.

“I am Haeraig Zeena of Nixa, and we may actually have an answer for Haeraig Anzig’s problem," she said in a loud and powerful voice. I looked up sharply at her, wondering how she could already have a solution to the human invasion.

Haeraig Zeena took a moment to pause and take a deep breath. “The Axinstone was not lost as we told you, we are not that careless, and Ddraig Krateos was rather disappointed that some drakes actually believed this lie. It was stolen from us, and we now know who by. A human called George, who we believe to be the human’s Ddraig – or Haeraig, we aren’t certain which – possesses our Stone.” Zeena stopped speaking again to look around the chamber, her eyes lingering on any drake who did not drop their gaze.

I had heard of the Axinstone before. There wasn’t a drake who hadn’t. It was a large stone, little more than a shard of rock emblazoned with the burning shadow of a dragon’s head. It was used to strengthen the magic of all nearby Nixan drakes. Given that only drakes from the Nixan clan could ever have magic, and the Stone held no other use, no Ddraig had ever felt the need or the desire to try and take the powerful object from Nixa.

“We believe his Human-Nixans are using the Axinstone to increase this human’s power over his own kind. If what Haeraig Anzig has said is true, then this has given him the confidence to attack us too.” Again Haeraig Zeena stopped, but this time it was not through her choice. A murmur of disquiet had spread from one of the corners of the chamber, and had quickly grown loud enough to distract the Nixan dragoness.

Ddraig Tsona hissed quietly and stepped forward. I did not like the look in his eyes. He was furious at the interruption. “Does anyone have something to say about this?” he asked. I thought I could hear a threatening undertone to his voice, as though he was daring anyone to answer and risk his anger.

The murmurs ceased instantly, but then one lone voice emerged from the very back of the chamber, among the lesser clans. “Human-Nixans? Are they...”

The dragon who had spoken must have realised Ddraig Tsona’s anger, or another drake near him had forced him quiet, as his voice petered out pitifully. Haeraig Zeena understood what the concern was about though. “Humans who can use magic? Yes,” she said, finishing the dragon’s unfinished question as Ddraig Tsona stepped back again. “We have known of their existence for many years now. But they are irrelevant. All that matters is taking back the Axinstone. Without it, perhaps the humans would have to retreat. We could solve both our problems here.”

“Do you know where the Human Ddraig is keeping your Axinstone?” Ddraig Tsona asked, stepping forward so that he was level with the Nixan. He did not look at her though, instead keeping his eyes towards the back of the chamber, unblinking and unmoving. I resisted the urge to turn and see what he was looking at.

Haeraig Zeena turned her head to look at the side of Ddraig Tsona’s head as she replied. “We do,” she said simply. She paused again, as though waiting for some kind of reaction to come from the Xital Ddraig, but he remained completely impassive. It was as if he hadn’t even heard her, or was preoccupied with more important thoughts, though I could not think what could be more important than this at the moment. I was not the only one either to sense Ddraig Tsona’s lack of concern. By my side, Carlee was restless, though her inferior position within the clan meant she was unable to speak her worries.

After a pause of over ten seconds, Ddraig Tsona blinked twice and shook his head. He glanced at Haeraig Zeena and tilted his head slightly in request for her to continue. As though nothing untoward had happened, the Nixan obliged.

“We understand the Axinstone to be within the human’s lair on a small island well beyond the Sxinix,” she said. “It won’t be easy to recover, but with Clan Laxtal’s news in mind, I believe this is a very important issue.”

Ddraig Tsona looked sharply across at Haeraig Zeena with a quiet growl from the back of his throat. “I decide what is important, Haeraig. Return to your place,” he said quietly, only just loud enough for me to hear it at all.

The Nixan dragoness bowed her head in apology, and without once looking up, returned to the space to my left. For just a moment she caught my eye, and I could see how truly scared she was. Then, to my surprise, she looked away before I had chance to do so. I continued to glance in her direction as Ddraig Tsona began speaking again. I heard nothing of what the Xital Ddraig was saying until Carlee nudged me in the ribs.

“Pay attention,” she hissed under her breath so that none but I could hear her. No one was permitted to speak when the Xitals were, except when they had something important to add. Rebuked, I turned back to face Ddraig Tsona and try and work out what he was talking about.

“...have any suggestions?” he prompted, practically glaring around the chamber in an oddly venomous fashion, as though he wanted the floor to remain silent, without suggestion or idea.

It was an open forum now. Anyone could speak without first seeking permission from the Xitals. “Why don’t we just attack back?” someone called out from near the back of the chamber. “They attacked us, so why don’t we gather our full strength and fly on their lands. We’ve defeated the human armies before, we can do it again.”

“Tchaa, no, that would never work,” a dragon near the front of the chamber protested. I recognised him as Aranat, the Ddraig of Clan Axaatl, the closest clan to Laxtal’s eastern borders. I could not see Ddraig Aranat as I was unable to see over the heads of the other drakes around me, but I knew him to be a powerfully built blue dragon. A few years prior I had heard that he had wrested control of his clan from its previous Ddraig. “I believe I know which lair it is that Haeraig Zeena refers to. I have seen this place with my own eyes. Even if every dragon alive were to join this attack, we still would not succeed.”

 “Then what do you suggest we do?” the first dragon challenged. Given how far back in the chamber he was, I doubted he had much right to speak to Ddraig Aranat like that. The Axaatl didn’t rebuke the lesser dragon at all, though a few surrounding the two did hiss and growl quietly.

“I don’t know,” Ddraig Aranat replied calmly. “I wasn’t suggesting an idea, just saying that yours can’t possibly work. The loss of life would be too great, even in the unlikely event of success.”

“You heard what Haeraig Zeena said. We need to get the Axinstone back. Risks must be taken in war,” another dragon said in a raised voice, somewhere off to my right, and a little further back.

“A risk must have a chance of a positive outcome. This idea does not,” Ddraig Aranat rebuked, turning his anger to the second dragon. “If it’s allowed, then it shall be nothing more than a suicide mission. The humans would probably kill us all before we laid a single claw inside their lair.”

There were a few seconds of silence as everyone waited for each other to offer further suggestions. What actions could we take? I certainly couldn’t think of anything to add, and nor it seemed could anyone else. We seemed to be left with just one option, and like Ddraig Aranat, I believed it would be nothing but suicide to launch a direct attack on the humans.

“If no one has another suggestion, then I have no choice but to authorise an attack on the human lair,” Ddraig Tsona declared with a resigned sigh. “Some action must be taken today. Matters are too serious to wait for another council to be called.”

I wondered why we had to send almost all of dragonkind to retrieve the Axinstone. If just a few survived the attack, even the Axinstone would be unable to help the survivors. The humans would be free to pick off the remaining clans at will. Surely we would be better off sending a couple of drakes to try and claim it. It meant fewer drakes would die, and they probably had the same sort of chance to recover the Axinstone as an entire army would.

“Wait,” I said, before I was even aware of what I had done. Every single pair of eyes was on me, I could feel them boring into the back of my head. All five of the Xitals glared at me, and I immediately began to regret speaking up. However, if I said nothing I would be disgracing Laxtal and my father; he would never trust me with anything again.

“Yes, Haeraig?” Ddraig Tsona said expectantly.

“There is another way. If we send a small group to the human lair, a dozen at most, then if Ddraig Aranat is correct, they will have the same chance of success. If they fail, we lose fewer drakes.” I spoke quickly, too quickly, but the pressure of having everyone’s attention on me was overwhelming. Ddraig Tsona’s eyes widened, but whether in disdain or respect I could not tell.

At least one dragoness was not amused by my suggestion though, and she loudly objected. “That is absolutely ridiculous. You would send a dozen drakes against the entire human army? That is nothing short of idiocy.”

I felt like curling up and tucking my head under my wing, but some small, vestigial sense of pride kept me standing, though I could not stop my head from sinking down lower.

“No, I don’t think it’s such a bad idea,” Ddraig Aranat commented to my complete surprise. I noticed it was to Ddraig Tsona’s complete shock also. I hadn’t expected anyone to agree with my opinion. I barely agreed with it myself. “I doubt Haeraig Anzig was suggesting sending a dozen dragons to fight the humans. We’d send them to steal the Axinstone, just as they stole it from Nixa.”

Hardly any drakes sided with the Axaatl Ddraig. In fact, the only one I could see was the Nixan Haeraig. I hadn’t even thought of Ddraig Aranat’s suggestion. My only concern had been minimising the number of casualties if the mission failed. Ddraig Aranat could turn my quite ridiculous idea into a true possibility. Though I hadn’t really done anything, I still felt a little pride that the older Ddraig had been able to build upon my suggestion. It was just enough to inject a little confidence into my posture, with my head rising back up as I stood tall again.

“Where is your sense of honour?” the same dragoness said from somewhere near the middle of the chamber. “You would rather steal something than fight for it? I for one refuse to be part of any such tactic, and I hope I do not find myself in the minority, or else dragonkind would be the lesser for it.”

“The humans showed us no honour in stealing it from Clan Nixa,” Ddraig Aranat said with patience and calmness. “I don’t see why we should feel obliged to show them honour when they will not return the favour.”

“That is not their way,” the dragoness whined. “Humans are not an honourable species. We should not sink to their level, or we would be no better than them.” I had the impression the dragoness was losing the argument, but I didn’t believe she would give in very easily, and nor would many of the other drakes in the chamber.

“In a choice between dishonour and death, I would choose dishonour every time,” Ddraig Aranat said. A few uneasy mutterings broke out at his words, but the Axaatl Ddraig was not perturbed. “I urge the Xital Clan to not disregard Haeraig Anzig’s suggestion just because it could be deemed dishonourable. There are times when we must ignore our honour and pride to undertake acts of theft, and other less worthy deeds.”

Ddraig Tsona had been intently following the argument of the Axaatl dragon and the other dragoness. Now that Ddraig Aranat had turned the talk back to him, he seemed caught unawares. It was a few moments before he even reacted to the sudden silence in the chamber.

“Yes, we shall take that in mind. If there are no further suggestions, we will take Haeraig Anzig’s plan into consideration too,” he said, taking a step back towards the other four Xitals. Not a single drake spoke. After a pause of almost a minute, Ddraig Tsona nodded. “We of Clan Xital shall discuss this in private, and will return with our answer shortly.” Without a further word, the five Xitals left the chamber through a small opening behind them. The instant Ddraig Tsona’s tail vanished into the darkness, everyone started talking at once.

“See, Boss? What did I tell you? Everything went alright,” Vinzent said in a low whisper. I chose to ignore his words. I closed my eyes and tried to slow my breathing down to an acceptable pace. I wasn’t even aware of the approach of someone else until Carlee hit me with her tail.

I opened my eyes to see the Nixan dragoness standing in front of me. She was nervously smiling, and I couldn’t help but notice that she never once attempted to meet my eyes. “I understand that honour means nothing in war. Your suggestion will save thousands of lives, and if your actions lead to the recovery of the Axinstone, my father will grant your clan great rewards,” she said softly, before placing her head on my shoulder in a sign of affection. I was too surprised to even move, and I let her keep her head there. “You have my thanks, and that of my clan.”

With that she pulled away and returned to her place to my left. She shot a shy glance across at me for a moment, before looking away and staring resolutely towards the front, where the Xitals had gone.

“Not bad at all, Boss,” Vinzent whispered with a sly look I did not like in the slightest. “She’s quite nice isn’t she? Nixan, yes, and a Haeraig, but I’m sure her father and Ddraig Astar could arrange something, if you wanted.”

I turned and growled at the young dragon. “You keep those thoughts to yourself in future, or you’ll find yourself in serious trouble. Do you understand me?” I threatened, keeping my voice to a quiet hiss so that no other but Vinzent and Carlee would be able to hear.

Vinzent nodded, though I doubted he had taken the warning very seriously. His pale-blue eyes were showing no sign of apology or regret for his actions. If anything he was still quite amused. His eyes lingered on Haeraig Zeena until I firmly stood on his paw and butted him on the underside of his jaw with my blunt horns.

“Hey, that hurt,” Vinzent complained, trying to pull away from me, but the pressure I was placing on his paw prevented him from going anywhere.

“Good. Now concentrate on where you are. And please, for once, act like a mature dragon,” I said, releasing Vinzent’s paw and staring him in the eyes as he stepped back from me. I could tell he was fighting the urge to come up with some retort, but fortunately for his sake he was able to restrain himself. Sometimes I forgot that Vinzent wasn’t actually old enough to be considered an adult. For a dragon of his age he held a lot of responsibility, and he was usually able to act sensibly.

Only when Vinzent turned and stared at the ground did I look away. There was a good deal of restlessness around us, thankfully none of which was caused by Vinzent’s immaturity. Instead, all the talk was on what the Xital drakes would decide, for it could ultimately decide the eventual fate of the species. Or at least, that seemed the opinion of the few clans nearby. The fact that my suggestion could be the one chosen dizzied me.

After an anxious wait that felt much longer than it was, the five Xitals returned to the main chamber. This time it was not Ddraig Tsona who stepped forward to address the gathered drakes, but a slight dragoness whom I was not familiar with. The Ddraig of Xital remained with the other three of his clan, his tail twitching in agitation.

“On a count of four to one, we have chosen on Haeraig Anzig’s suggestion to retrieve the Axinstone,” the Xital dragoness announced. I was so shocked by what she had said that I almost missed the rest. “I ask the Ddraigs and Haeraigs of the ten ruling clans to meet us here after the sun’s peak to discuss who should be sent. That will be all.”

Leaving it at that, the Xitals turned again and left. I didn’t even know why Ddraig Tsona and the other three had felt the need to come back out, so short a time they were there, contributing nothing. Their behaviour in general was most unusual. In my mind, the fact that they preferred my suggestion confirmed something was amiss. I didn’t know what, and I didn’t know any reason for it to be. I could not understand why so many more experienced Ddraigs had been unable to better my hasty and ill-thought out idea.

Neither Carlee nor Vinzent appeared to share my concerns. Though Vinzent’s were a little more muted, both had nothing to say to me but praise. I did not pay attention to either of them. Did I deserve the praise? I couldn’t shake the feeling everything that had happened was planned. But planned by whom? For what reason? Again, I could not begin to imagine.

I looked up to the sky, visible through the entry at the top of the cavern, where some drakes were already starting to leave. Why couldn’t I be full of pride at what I had done? Why did I have to suspect that another drake had meant for things to turn out this way?

“Are you alright Anzig?” Carlee asked, breaking into my musings. I looked across at her and sighed.

“Yeah, just a little cold,” I lied, turning my head back towards the sky. I couldn’t stop my voice sounding as dull as my thoughts. “Let’s get back into the sun. I’ll feel better out there.”

Without waiting for an answer I spread my wings and flew up towards the fresh air. I could hear the other two following close behind, but I did not slow down for them to catch up, nor did I once look back.

I emerged into the sunlight high above the ground. The Xital Lair was spread out over a great distance. Many interconnected caves were pocketed in small rocky crags scattered throughout the otherwise flat terrain. The main lair was visible from many miles away, a lone mountain towering up from the flats, marking the central point of draconic society. It was the oldest populated lair, and one of the most visually striking. The entry to the main chamber, situated halfway up the mountain and completely surrounded by sheer cliff walls, was inaccessible to anything without wings.

I had barely left the shadows before I heard someone call my name. It was a voice I could not fail to recognise, and it belonged to a dragoness who had been my near-constant companion since my hatching day. She was my closest and most trusted friend – the dragoness, Keita. She had waited for me on a small ledge not too far from the entry to the chamber under the watchful eyes of two guardian drakes. I wouldn’t have been too surprised if she had eavesdropped on what was being said.

Slowly, Keita flew up to me from where she had been waiting, giving Vinzent and Carlee the chance to catch up. As the masses of drakes began swarming out from the chamber, they buffeted into Keita in complete disregard of her presence, forcing her to dive lower again. I was concerned by their disrespect, and swooped down to join her.

“You shouldn’t let them bully you like that,” I told her once I was by her side. But Keita just looked away with her pale eyes. She had always had difficulty with her sight, having injured her right eye when she was a tiny dragonette. The damage had never fully healed; as a consequence she had little ability to judge distance. She slowed her flight slightly so she was flying to the right of my tail before she answered.

“They’re Ddraigs. They have to respect you, but they have no reason to do the same to me,” Keita said, staring down to the ground.

I looked up towards Vinzent and Carlee, who had not flown down to join us. Instead they continued to fly on above us. “You can be what you want to be,” I said, looking back at Keita, as always entranced by the unique beauty of her partially translucent red wings. It was my humble opinion that Keita was the most beautiful dragoness I had ever laid eyes upon. Though I had rarely given thought to the matter, I knew one day I would ask her to become my mate. I did not know whether Keita felt the same way for me. I knew she loved me as a lifelong friend and companion, but it was impossible to tell if she could love me as a mate too.

Keita must have been aware of my gaze, for she did not look towards me. Instead her eyes were squinted as she tried to look up at something above us. There was a momentary flash of alarm on her face. Too late did I hear the rush of wind against wings. Too late did I feel the slight shadow against my back. I had no time to move. The next I knew I was falling with a drake on my back, pinning my wings in place, preventing me from going anywhere. The more I struggled, the tighter my assailant’s grip became.

I could not hear the sound of pursuit. No one was chasing to help. I didn’t have time to think why. The ground grew closer at an alarming rate. At the last moment, I could hear my attacker flare their wings, slowing us instantly. Then they released me, sending me tumbling down to the ground. I rolled twice and clutched my head in my paws.

“I got you that time, Ziggy!”

I groaned. I knew exactly who it was, and I should have guessed earlier from the manner of the attack. Only one drake I knew used such tactics when they fought. I looked up to see my younger cousin, Ellian, gently come down to the ground. She looked rather pleased with herself. I hissed at her, but otherwise ignored her smug look.

In complete disregard to my foul mood, Ellian lay down right next to me, her head resting on her paws. “Well, how was it in there?” the azure scaled dragonette asked with an air of intensity. “Will Ddraig Astar need to send me next time?”

“If you want to, then I’m sure I can arrange something,” I replied. I wasn’t sure if I was being sarcastic or hopeful. Though my earlier fear had abated, I was really unsettled by what had gone on. I didn’t know what to expect from the meeting with the Xitals and the Ddraigs of the ruling clans. I hoped it didn’t feel like it was all happening according to a plan I was not aware of.

No matter what I thought, Ellian knew what she wanted, and that was most certainly not the opportunity to represent our clan in an official position. “You’re being silly,” she said with a mischievous smile. “I’m too young to be taken seriously.”

She was right of course. She wasn’t yet old enough to be considered an adult, but, at just thirteen years old, she was also one of the most mature drakes I knew. Though she may consider it otherwise, I secretly believed she was far better suited to the role as Laxtal Haeraig than I was.

At that moment Vinzent and Carlee landed a few feet away, and I gently returned to my paws, while Ellian quickly scarpered away to join Vinzent. The two talked together in quiet tones. I watched as Ellian rested her head on Vinzent’s shoulder. The silver dragon looked over at me with a touch of alarm for a moment before rejoining their private conversation.

The two had always been close friends. Ellian had known Vinzent for about as long as I had, but I couldn’t help feeling surprised at this apparent latest development in their relationship. If their closeness was them moving beyond friendship, I wasn’t sure what I really felt. Partly I was worried. Neither were adults yet, though Vinzent was less than a year from being called one. However, I knew a lot of Laxtal dragons, and I believed that out of all of them, Vinzent was the one dragon I would be happy for my cousin to become mates with.

I turned from them and looked up at the dragoness I desired to become my mate. Keita was still descending. A lack of ability to judge distance was not good for aerial creatures, and she had to be a lot more careful when flying near the ground, especially when landing.

Once she was on the ground she tucked her tail behind her hind legs and sat down, staring at the ground. I was about to move across to her, but Carlee stepped in front of me, cutting me off.

“You seem troubled,” she said simply, placing her body in the way of where I wanted to go. Her tail wrapped around my foreleg when I tried to back away. “What’s the matter?” she asked, seemingly determined to know why I was so distracted, which I knew I was.

I knew I could trust Carlee with any of my worries. My father trusted her with his concerns, though I never heard any of what they were, unless he told me himself, which was rarely. Whatever I would tell her, she would keep to herself until she died, if that were necessary.

“It all seemed planned,” I said quietly, so that no one else, not even Keita, would be able to hear me speak. “Everything that happened in there, everything that was said, it sounded like it was organised, and I wasn’t told about it. I don’t think Ddraig Aranat was either.”

Carlee didn’t appear all that surprised, but she was unable to give her thoughts about it as Keita had stood up and was walking towards us. Instead, Carlee said, “You did well in there. I think your father will be proud. You saved the lives of many drakes today.” She bared her teeth as she smiled, then turned away, allowing Keita to approach me unhindered.

We did not rub heads like Vinzent and Ellian. I kept my affections for the dragoness hidden from all others. It was expected of me, as the clan Haeraig, to mate with a dragoness who held a higher, more powerful position within the clan. It was only through the strength of Keita’s father and her friendship with me that she held any sort of power within the clan. Without those, she would be one of the lesser dragonesses in Laxtal.

“Azlak wants to speak with you,” Keita said softly. She lay down on the grass in front of me, spreading her wings out to absorb some heat from the sun. I frowned. Azlak was an enigmatic dragon, both greatly respected, and yet scorned too. He was a Laxtal with magic, something that was meant to be impossible. Only Nixans were meant to possess magic, and yet Azlak was very much a Laxtal dragon. Marin, Azlak’s father, was one of my father’s strongest and most powerful supporters, and was proud of being the latest in a long line of pure Laxtal drakes.

I resisted the temptation to lie down next to Keita. Azlak’s words were usually too important to ignore. The diminutive gold-scaled dragon had an erratic, but usually correct, ability to see into the future. As a result, his advice was always invaluable.

“Did he say what it was about?” I asked Keita, but she lazily shook her head. Her eyes were closed, and she looked like she was asleep. “Lie closer to the fire tonight,” I told her, smiling to myself. She didn’t reply. I stood there watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed for a few moments, before turning my eyes away with regret.

I turned to Carlee, who was still standing a few feet away, waiting for me. “Watch over her, and bring her back when she’s ready,” I said, tilting my head down to Keita.

“Of course,” Carlee said. She settled down in the soft grass and spread her wings too.

With one last, lingering look back at Keita, half-hidden by the long grass, I left the two dragonesses alone to doze and absorb the heat of the sun. I ambled towards Vinzent and Ellian, who had their backs turned to me as they sat together, looking out over the Xital lands. Ellian’s head was rested upon Vinzent’s shoulder, and his wing was wrapped around her body.

“Ellian, I want you to come with me,” I said, making both drakelets jump in fright. Vinzent pulled his wing off of Ellian with an embarrassed look on his face. “Vinzent, you’re to look after Keita with Carlee.”

“Must I?” Ellian grumbled, but quickly changed her mind. “See you later,” she muttered sulkily to Vinzent. The young silver dragon did not once look at Ellian. His eyes were solely on my paws. I didn’t have any idea what he was thinking. It looked as though he half expected me to attack him for showing affection to my cousin.

Vinzent didn’t move as Ellian slinked away.

“No further,” I warned him, before taking to wing. I paused only to make certain Ellian was following me. I knew exactly where Azlak would be; in the chambers designated for visiting Laxtal drakes, about a ten minute flight to the south of the central Xital lair.

Ellian flew up to my right, keeping wing just behind my shoulder. “What did you say to him?” she demanded.

I turned my head slightly to look back at her. “I told him no further. You’re both still too young to be mates.”

“You’re not my brother, Ziggy, you don’t have to act like one,” she said bluntly, a touch of annoyance in her voice.

“Since when have you not treated me like one?” I asked gently. Ellian had been orphaned from a very young age, and ever since then she had been placed in the care of my father. Her real brother had been old enough to fend for himself and he had gone out to live with the nomadic drakes, but he had been forbidden from taking his only sister with him. As my father was usually busy, it had been left to my mother and me to care for my younger cousin.

We had very much grown up as siblings, and it hurt me to hear Ellian throw that away almost casually. I could tell it had hurt her too.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,” she said, drifting a little closer to my wing. She took a deep breath and let it back out as a deep and prolonged sigh. “I’ll try. I’ll tell Vinzent too. We’ll wait.”

I thought it best not to say anything then, but to silently acknowledge her decision. By that time we had reached the part of the Xital Lair where we were lodging. From the air it appeared simply to be one of the many low hills, but underground it was a complex series of caves and tunnels. Because of our clan’s importance, it was not linked to any of the other networks, where the lesser clans dwelt, nor to the Xital drakes’ own caves.

Azlak had taken the smallest, dampest, and coldest cave in our network. Even though we were nowhere near close to filling the small cluster of caves, the little seer was so insecure and bereft of confidence that he refused to take anything more comfortable. Whenever someone suggested a move to him, he invariably muttered about him not deserving any better.

The seer was not surprised to see me when I arrived at his chamber. Ellian had already left me, choosing to remain at the surface and stay in the sun. Though I had forbade her to return back to Vinzent, I allowed her to remain on the surface. I didn’t particularly want to spend more time underground, and I wasn’t sure how Azlak was able to put up with it: he was usually only outside to eat.

“I’ll be quick, Haeraig, we don’t have much time,” Azlak said as soon as I came into view. Though he was less than an inch shorter than I was, the difference appeared much greater, as he would often press himself down into the ground and he seldom looked up, making him appear smaller than his actual size.

“What do you mean?” I asked, when Azlak had, contrary to his words of being quick, paused.

“I saw how you get the Axinstone, and I know we don’t have much time before we lose that chance,” Azlak said, looking down into the floor as I stared in shock at the top of his head.

“Me?”

For the first time, Azlak looked up and acknowledged my presence, his golden eyes gazing balefully into mine. He gave a slow nod. “I have looked for other ways, but I’ve not found another who can succeed. I didn’t see who else you take with us, so you need to use your judgement for that.”

“Us?” I was temporarily unable to utter anything longer than a single syllable, and my mind wasn’t processing anything at a much faster rate. I couldn’t believe I would have to carry out the near suicidal task of breaking into a human lair, and stealing what I expected to be the most highly guarded object inside.

“I know I go too,” Azlak said. He was not enthralled at the prospect of going either. His voice had taken on a dull and sombre tone; one I often heard from him whenever he foresaw danger or death. I only hoped he had seen the former, and not the latter, but I did not have the courage to ask him which it was.

“So when do we leave?” I asked instead, forcing my voice out through my strangled throat.

“Today. We need to be out of Xital this afternoon. I’ve seen a place where we can sleep for tonight, but then it’s all a blur until we’ve recovered the Axinstone. If I see anything more, I’ll tell you. Gather who you think we’ll need, inform the Xitals of this, and I’ll wait for you outside.”

Though it was odd to hear such words coming from Azlak, being almost orders, or at the very least, strong advice, I took heed of them and left at once. I already knew I would have to take Keita and Carlee with me. The two of them would not allow me to leave their side. Ellian would have to remain behind. My cousin would become Haeraig in my stead, so it would fall to her to lead the clan and to inform my father of the proceedings, once he returned from the south.

I did not feel that would be enough though. I had said about a dozen drakes would be suitable, and Ddraig Aranat had said nothing to contradict that estimation. But I could think of no one else I would want with me. That would mean just four of us travelling across the mountains, and then almost the entirety of the human lands, and next across the water to the humans’ island lair. I could not think who else to ask of this dangerous task, for they would have to be from beyond my clan, but I did not have long to decide.

***

My decision to undertake the task of recovering the Axinstone was not taken well by the other ruling clans. It was just after noon, and the Ddraigs and Haeraigs of the ten ruling clans, as well as Ddraig Tsona, again representing the Royal Clan, had convened back at the central chambers. I was, by some considerable margin, the smallest dragon present, and I was having a hard time to not be intimidated by the others.

“I urge you to reconsider this,” Ddraig Tsona was saying, not for the first time. “As a Haeraig, you are too important to risk on such a dangerous task. I know you mean too much to Laxtal to be lost.”

“I feel it is my duty as a Haeraig to do things I would not ask of anyone else to do,” I replied quietly, not wanting to be though to deliberately going against a Royal’s wishes. “And I’ve been told I will succeed. I have the assurance of a seer, whose word I trust.”

The only one present who had kept silent was Haeraig Zeena of Nixa. She had not uttered a word since greeting me when I had been the last to arrive. But now she took a half-step towards me and spoke. “Which seer?” she asked. One of her claws absently scratched at the floor in her confusion. “I brought none with me.”

“Azlak. He’s not of Clan Nixa. He’s of my clan,” I replied.

“Ah, him,” Zeena said simply. I knew most Nixans refused to accept that Azlak was a Laxtal dragon. They said it was impossible a drake from outside their clan could ever possess magic. Opinions ranged from Azlak being little more than a lucky fraud – that he only pretended to see into the future – to him actually being a Nixan and lying about his heritage. While I knew these opinions to be wrong, I had never convinced a single Nixan of this.

“I know what he has Seen is true, and I know that if I leave today, I will return with the Axinstone,” I said, addressing Ddraig Tsona again.

“You’ll need help,” the Xital dragon said. I took that as his permission.

“I will. I still need perhaps five drakes, four at the least, ready to leave before this afternoon,” I said, looking around at the other nine drakes, wondering if any of them would be willing to assist me in providing the other dragons I needed. I wasn’t disappointed.

“You are risking yourself to retrieve a Nixan artefact. It is only right that I send you some assistance. I have two dragons with me who you may take,” Haeraig Zeena said without hesitation. “Isikian is a healer, and his brother, Inilta, is able to control and create fire. Both their talents will come in useful at some point, I am sure. They will accompany you to the human’s lair and back without complaint.”

No sooner had I nodded my thanks to her, did another dragon speak up. “I can send you Okazuni. He’s young, but he’s eager to prove himself,” the Nyrian Ddraig said, whose name I did not know.

“Nataik is our finest fighter. She accompanied me here, and I’m sure you’ll find use of her in this act of espionage. She’s chameleonic,” said a third, the Ddraig of Clan Xigax. Xigax was an eastern clan, and their elongated, almost serpentine bodies leant well to their unique style of fighting. They were heavily influenced by old human teachings of speed and stealth. Their long, whiplash tails were a weapon as deadly as the sharpest tooth or claw. There were also a select few drakes from that clan who could even change the colour of their scales to match their surroundings. It was not magic, but in the right circumstances, it was just as effective. Having such a dragoness with us would certainly be a significant boost to our chances.

No one else was willing to offer any drakes to my cause. The other six Ddraigs and Haeraigs looked amongst each other awkwardly, as though waiting for each other to say something. In the end it was Ddraig Tsona who broke the silence. “Four more companions should be suitable, don’t you think Haeraig?” the Royal dragon asked me.

“I believe so, yes,” I replied. Though it was less than my original estimation, I really had pulled that number out from nothing. I doubted having more companions would make a great deal of difference.

“Then we shall keep you no longer. Go and prepare. All I ask is you seek me out before you leave,” Ddraig Tsona said. I stayed just a few moments longer to organise where and when I wanted to see the drakes that had been volunteered. I offered my final thanks and left the ten drakes to continue their discussions.