“No.” I ran back to the stairs, followed by Victor and Sol.
In the corridor one level up, I bumped into Frid, disheveled and covered in blood.
“You have to see this!” She tried to catch her breath.
We followed her to the top of the castle wall, where the Lord of the castle stood on the merlon, watching the dark sea of the undead below.
“What are you doing?” I stopped by the edge.
A sudden burst of wind brought the smoke and the smellof the burnt flesh as I watched the man next to me. This time, I saw something different in him. I did not see a narrow minded and arrogant lord, but a father and husband.
“My time has come,” he said without turning back.
“You can’t do this.” I glanced over the edge to the remains of the fires and the surviving crawlers that still soiled the clearing between the buildings.
“What am I supposed to do? They bit me. They...” he whimpered. “I don’t want to be put down like an animal. I want to meet the Great Dragons with dignity.” As he spoke, his voice grew calmer with every word.
I watched him, unable to look away. His body elongated, and his skin shimmered with thousands of golden scales. His head enlarged. The Lord of Hogtain stilled on top of the wall, watching the crowd of crawlers below. Then without delay, without so much as a final look back, he stepped into the abyss. My eyes followed the silhouette of the dragon, his golden scales reflected the moonlight. Frid gasped behind me.
I was not able to sleep that night. The sounds of the struggle, the growls of a wounded dragon being eaten alive would never stop haunting me. It was unclear how that barbaric tradition originated, but many warriors thought that theirsacrifice was much more preferable. None wished to be a burden on their loved ones, or worse, risk their families’ lives.
I spent the rest of the night pacing the room from wall to wall, unable to switch off my mind. Just before the sunlight reached down to my window, I passed out on top of the mildew-smelling sheets, exhausted as never before.
CHAPTER TWO
TYNAN
Asudden bang on my door startled me awake.
“What the hell!” I muttered, getting up.
“Rise and shine!” a familiar voice sounded from the hall.
“Erin?” I frowned.
“You should be glad I’m here. I have something for you,” the smug voice continued.
“Go away,” I said loud and clear.
“Haha. I see you didn’t miss me,” Erin responded.
I raised my eyebrows, but approached the door and unbolted it.
The young man with light blond hair, dressed in a black set of armor, leaned againstthe door frame.
“What do you want?” I grumbled.
“You should be grateful that I flew all the way here from Railand. It took me two days and multiple stops. It’s a dangerous job.” I met his gaze, unimpressed. He continued, “Anyway, you have new orders. Here.” He extended his arm, producing a narrow, rolled-up directive.
I opened the cylinder and the freshly folded paper stretched out in the palm of my hand.
“What now?” I frowned.
“Maybe you should be more enthusiastic about your job so they’ll give you something else to do.” Erin grinned.
“Do you mean like being a carrier pigeon for the council?” Frid appeared in the hallway.
“Oh, my lady. You look fantastic, as usual. When can I convince you to grab drinks with me, gorgeous?” Erin turned his whole body to the girl, completely forgetting about me.
