“With all due respect, milady, your opinion is not one that matters. You need to let the men speak,” Lord Halsey said in a soft voice, as if he was speaking to a petulant child.
“Don’t you fucking dare talking to her like that!” Tynan hissed.
“I don’t think you understand the level of force we are willing to employ to right this situation,” Rutherford calmly added.
How could I ever think that he was kind, noble, and honorable? He was the worst type of man; one who appeared to be decent, but was willing to throw everyone else's life away in order to get what he wanted.
“I’m a human being, not a thing! I have feelings, wishes, and opinions.” I raised my voice.
“You must understand what’s at stake, girl. Do you want a new war between clans?” Lord Halsey spoke as if he was talking to someone incapable of understanding.
“There’s no way you can convince me that I’m the only reason for your war.” I stared at Rutherford.
“You have run out of time, and have no valid options. You’re outnumbered. Don’t make me do this, Alina.” Rutherford unsheathed his sword, sending the waves of panic down my spine.
This was the end. There was nothing that could be done. No way of talking to them, trying to rationalize with them. They came confident in their easy victory, and even Tynan was in a state that went past all reason. Ready to fight and die because of me. I could see it in his eyes, his straightened shoulders. His hand clenched the grip of his sword.
A sudden rustle rolled through the crowd, and the one person I never expected to see appeared among the warriors. The old man in shabby, torn clothes stumbled and fell face first, right in the mud. He lifted himself up and chuckled.
“Honorable lords, it’s been ages. We welcome you in Darragh with open arms. In our hearts there’s nothing but love and deep respect and appreciation...” Sage mumbled and hiccuped.
“What’s this?” Rutherford moved his elbow and took a step back when Sage touched his arm, breathing right in his face.
“All this time, we’ve been waiting for someone worthy to take the place of the greatest king of the dragon lands. The one sent by the gods, blessed beyond anyone’s comprehension. To unite all four clans and rule alongside the Red Queen. Trust me, I know... I speak to the gods. I always talk to them, they show me pictures and signs. In this land, abandoned by the spirits, nobody believes me, but I knew how it would be. I prepared.” Sage continued.
“Why are we listening to this?” Halsey raised his voice, looking round.
“I know you. Oh, I know you.” Sage moved toward the leader of the blue clan. “They told me all about you. All your... nasty little secrets. I know it all. Do you want me to spill it for everyone to hear?” Sage continued.
Halsey took a step back suddenly ashen faced.
“What’s going on?” I whispered to Tynan, who stared at the old man with eyes full of suspicion.
“The spirits are restless. To tell you the truth, they are angry too... so angry that they’ve talked about finishing all of us. Some of them say that without dragonborns, the disease would’ve stopped on its own. They think that they don’t need us any longer. It was a failed experiment, and it’s all over. But... there are still some who say the new king will heal the land.” Sage kept talking in an unsteady voice.
“What do the gods want?” Rutherford asked, losing his patience.
Sage’s face assumed a significant expression and he furrowed his eyebrows. “They obviously want me to be the head seer once more. Because without me, this mess will never get sorted, and they know it.” Sage peered into Rutherford’s face.
He was bluffing. I doubted he ever spoke to any spirits. But, for better or worse, Rutherford and Halsey seemed to be listening to him. I only hoped he did not push it too far.
Rutherford raised his eyebrow. Sage immediately changed his tone and started gesticulating with his arms, as if determined to use every available power to persuade him.
“You see, they are waiting for the new king to rise, and they expect him to be young, handsome, and brave.” Sage gave Rutherford a significant look. “We all know that the kid’s out of his depth. He only rose to his position because of his birthright. He’s too young to lead. You know it, I know it, and deep down, he knows it too. He was the most useless clan member, since he was a child, and is not worthy of the title. This land needs someone strong and capable, well distinguished, worthy.”
I glanced at Tynan, his face was hard, like stone. His eyes burned into the old man, following every move he made.
“And what do you suggest?” Halsey asked, no longer daring to be confrontational.
“I am sure you know about the ancient tradition of solving every dispute in a fair duel. The gods want only the best to take the lead of both clans, and there is no better way to find out who is the most deserving. The gods want you to beat this good for nothing boy and take control of both clans. Just imagine, both clans united, under your control. But you obviously don’t want your brave warriors to kill your new subjects from the black clan.” Sage concluded.
My eyes shifted to the gash on Tynan’s shoulder that was slowly oozing blood. His right hand was too injured to move, the skin on his neck was raw and burnt, and claw marks slashed down his back. It would not be fair at all. He could not fight.
“It is the way of the first dragon’s spirit to clearly state its will.What is for you, will not go by you.”Sage smiled and to my horror, many warriors from the different clans nodded in agreement.
“No! No!” I shook my head, still not willing to believe that this was happening.
“That’s right!” someone shouted.
