Dragon Glaive: Final Fairy Tale

Cason McGuire walked along the streets of the capital, trying his best to look inconspicuous. Of course, there was no particular reason to remain inconspicuous right now, since this was actually an honest and even routine mission. But the habit was too deep to break. Besides, he wasn't comfortable. This was a strange city, and he wasn't taking any chances with it. He suspected that Gaius was laughing at him internally, but since he didn't make any sign of his amusement, Cason decided not to get mad.

If he had to get stuck working with any of the others, Cason was glad it was Gaius. The old man had little in common with him, but at least he was quiet.

“So is this place?” asked the boy as Gaius paused in front of an imposing building, surrounded by a stone wall.

Gaius nodded. “This is one of the royal vaults. The rods Aiden needs should be here.” For a moment, neither one spoke. And Gaius commented, “So, Cason, are you going to--case the joint, I think is how you say it?”

Cason folded his arms and glowered. “You making fun of me?”

“No.”

Cason glanced up sharply and realized there was a serious expression on Gaius's face. Not that the man didn't usually look serious, but there was something different now. He looked puzzled or even worried.

“Is something wrong?”

“There should be guards outside the gate here. But there aren't. It's just... peculiar.”

“I prefer it when there aren't guards around,” muttered Cason. But he understood Gaius's point. It was puzzling. “Sure they might not just be on a break?”

“It's unlikely. The guards here in the capital are better disciplined than that.”

“Well, then, I'll see if I can't get a new perspective on all this.” Cason tightened the cinch on his headband. Really, he was happy to actually have something to do. He left Gaius standing at the side of the street and sauntered onward. If anyone from the vault were watching him, they would assume he was just a passerby.

The instant he had moved far enough down the street that he was out of sight from the building, his movements changed, and with quick, decisive movements, he hurried to the side of the street opposite the vault. There was a brick wall along this side of the street, separating a block of tall, dark buildings from the street. Cason unwrapped his whip (which he always carried coiled around his arm), after a few unsuccessful attempts, managed to lash it upwards so that the end wrapped around a projection on the top of the wall. With this in place, it was a simple matter for him to gain the top of the wall. Crouching down, he made his way down the wall until he was almost opposite the vault.

Fortunately, this wall was about the same height as the wall around the vault, meaning he was almost high enough to see over. Also, fortunately, there was a large tree growing just behind the wall. With a leap, Cason was in the branches and had a second later had clambered up to point where he could see over the other wall.


A minute later he had regained the street. Keeping out of sight of the vault, he gave Gaius a signal and the old man walked down and joined him. “What did you see?” he asked in a low voice.

“You got any enemies in this town?” asked Cason, who disliked answering direct questions.

“Not especially. But--”

Cason raised his eyebrows.

“Well, I can't imagine many people are very happy with some of his highnesses decisions.”

“That might explain the ambush.”

“Ambush?”

“There are about a dozen guards standing in that courtyard behind the wall. Just waiting for someone to mosey in there.”

“I was afraid of something like that. Rather a rookie mistake, not having guards at the gate, but fortunate for us. Now at least we know what we're getting into.”

“Wait a sec, what? You're going to walk right into their trap?”

“Of course. That's what we're here for.” He smiled and placed his hand on his saber. “I may be old, but not too old to fight.”

“Yeah, but these odds are bad. Two against twelve?”

“One against twelve. Because you're coming in from the back.”

Cason cocked his head and stared at Gaius, half in surprise and half in admiration. “So what's your plan exactly?”

“We need to get those cadmium rods. I suspect this ambush is aimed at preventing that. So while I keep the guards occupied, I need you to sneak in from the back, go into the vault, and then take them back to the worksite.”

“And leave you here?”

“As I said, I think I can take care of myself. Besides, hopefully, Kendra or Aiden will be back when you get there and you can bring them here. But getting those rods are the main thing.”

“OK, sure. I'll just put it on Aiden's tab.” And after a few more words, the two parted.

Cason knew there was no time to be lost. He preferred jobs he could plan out in advance and perform in a more leisurely fashion, but he had to work with what he had. It was a matter of seconds before he had crossed the row of buildings and was behind the wall of the vault. He was able to use his whip to catch a hold on the top of the wall. This wall was more difficult to scale as there were a series of spikes on top. They were too high to climb over, but they were just far enough apart that Cason (who was skinny even for a boy of eleven) was just able to squeeze between them.

There was a large space between the back of the vault and the wall, but it was guarded by a single officer. And the man wasn't looking up. Cason slipped down and landed just behind him. The man didn't even have an inkling that there was anyone else the courtyard, before Cason's whip wrapped around his chest. Cason touched the control on the handle of the whip, generating a pulse of electricity that passed down the length of the whipcord and knocked the guard senseless.

So far, things were going easier than he could have hoped. But the hard part of the mission was just beginning. He stepped over the unconscious guard and eased his way along the side the building. There was no cover here, so if anyone looked his way, he would be spotted in an instant. But fortunately, everyone had other things to worry about.

As he reached the front of the building, he could see there was quite a battle going on. For an old man, Gaius moved swiftly. And his saber--an elemental weapon of his own devising--was more powerful than the standard swords with which the guards were armed. Even so, he would have been overcome if it weren't for the fact that he had surprised the guards rather than them surprising him. And even with that, Cason wasn't hopeful about his chances.

But that wasn't his concern at the moment. With the battle going on in front of the vault, nobody was paying attention to the vault itself. And so it was easy for him to slip around the corner of the building, up the steps, and through the doorway. It had been left open. Cason suspected they may have been hoping he and Gaius would walk right in and they would be able to trap them inside the building.

On the inside, the vault was a long building filled with shelves on which were carefully stacked a variety of items from cogwheels to broadswords. There were weapons and machinery and building supplies and other items the purpose of which Cason could only try to imagine. There was no sign of anyone around.

He walked slowly down the rows of the vault. He couldn't help thinking that this place was a thief's dream. A lot of this was common material, but some of it was valuable. If he could clear out with enough of it-- of course, it still might not be as much as the reward Aiden had promised him, but if this was any indication of what was going on in the capital, Aiden might not be in any position to pay out that reward.

He shook his head. He didn't have time to daydream. He had sort of made a promise to the prince and he didn't want to go back on it. Besides, if Aiden could actually destroy the dragons--that was better than any reward.

Gaius had told him how to find the cadmium rods. They were there, on a shelf about halfway down the length of the building, rods of silvery metal, not much thicker than his finger but just about his own height. That made them awkward to carry, but fortunately, they weren't all that heavy.

Cason was so occupied with getting the rods out of their shelf that he didn't notice the guard in the vault until it was a couple of seconds too late.

“A thief!” the man yelled and ran towards the door, probably going to call for backup.

But he didn't reach the door. Cason's whip curled around his feet as he ran, sending him sprawling. Before he could regain his feet, Cason fed a little juice through the whip, enough to stun him. Without a look back, he was out the front door.

And not a second too soon. Still carrying the cadmium rods, he slipped behind a pillar at the front of the building as the group of guards made their way into the building, pushing Gaius, with his hands tied, in with them. Cason noted with a smile that most of them looked rather the worse for wear. Even if Gaius had lost, he still seemed to have made the most of the battle.

Cason waited until they were all inside the building and then bolted for the gate, which had been left standing open. As soon as he was out in the open, he shot across the street and around a corner. Carrying the large rods, there was no way he could be inconspicuous. And the unconscious guards he had left behind would alert the others that an intruder had been there and there would be a pursuit soon. He had to put his faith in his speed.

Fortunately, even though he hadn't been in the city long, he had been long enough to get an idea of his way around. And that, together with certain instincts which came with his profession, helped him chart a crazy, zigzag course across the capital; cutting through back alleys and between fences. Without the rods, it would have been a cinch, but even with them, it wasn't much a challenge.

He hadn't seen a sign of pursuit by the time he reached the prince's worksite. Here he moved more stealthily--if there were enemies trying to ambush him, they would be here. But he couldn't spot any enemies and so he slid into the building. He had feared to see enemies of some kind inside. He had hoped to see Aiden or one of the others. But the building was empty. He leaned the two cadmium rods against the outside of the pile and then hastily scribbled a note which he left with them--if Aiden came back, he would know what it meant.

Then, now moving with greater speed without having to worry about his cargo, he slipped back into the street. Now to see about trying to rescue Gaius.

*

Minister Glosslav paused for a moment and peered around. “Did someone just leave that building?”

“I didn't see anyone, your excellency,” answered the soldier who walked at his side. “Do you want me to search the place?”

“I suppose that it does not matter. Even if it was one of his highness's friends, they are too late to do anything at this point.” He pushed open the door and stepped into the large building. “So this is his highnesses project,” he remarked, looking in amazement at the atomic pile. He had known the general idea that Aiden was working on, but this was his first time to see it in person. “Well, he will never complete it now.”

His companion raised his sword. “Do you want me to destroy it?”

“Do you have any idea how much radioactivity is contained in this pile? To either destroy it safely or use it will require a greater scholar than you.” Aside from his own glaive which he always had at his side, Glosslav had been carrying a second glaive which he now laid gently on a couple of blocks at the side of the room. Anyone who had seen it before would recognize it instantly--the Dragon Glaive.

“Use it?” repeated the soldier, questioningly. “But I thought--”

“I do not intend to activate it, but we should always keep our options open.” Glosslav pulled out his codex and checked the screen. “In about half an hour, Aiden and V'kaya will have been destroyed by dragons. I imagine this will be seen as a vindication of the pro-dragon party; they will say it was his just punishment for opposing the dragons. But the populace is fickle. Perhaps this will instead cause a reaction, a rise of animosity towards the dragons. In which case it will be necessary to readjust our position. Perhaps, then, we will activate this pile as a means of attacking the dragons. Or perhaps its power can be converted to some more conventional purpose. Recklessly wasting resources is inefficient. Now,” he ordered, as he turned away, “make sure the building is locked and guarded so that no one can enter. We must prepare to make the announcement about his highness's death to the people.”

*

Kendra the Hunter wished she had brought her horse with her to the city. In the wilds, she never went anywhere without him. If she had had him here, or if she had ever learned to use flight gear like the royal guards used, she could have made it to the palace complex in a short time. As it was, it was almost twenty minutes before she reached it, and that was making unusually good time.

Even if she hadn't known ahead of time, it was clear as soon as she reached the complex that something was wrong. Not that she could now see any signs of conflict. But there was a general air of disorganization and confusion.

There was a single guard posted at the gate when she approached. He was a young man, scarcely more than a boy, and he seemed stunned or upset. Probably this was the first real action he had seen. He was standing against the wall and didn't even seem to realize that Kendra was there before it was too late. She threw one of her enormous shurikens at him. The two points sunk into the wall on both sides of his neck, shackling him to the wall. He seemed so surprised and overcome by the unexpected attack that Kendra felt a little sorry for him.

Only a little.

“Don't worry. Probably sooner or later someone will come along and help you out,” she said encouragingly, and then walked into the interior of the complex. She had never been here before, but she was used to searching through wild and unknown areas. Of course, this wasn't wild, but the same principles applied.

Now that she was on the inside, she could see clear signs that there had been a battle here, even though it seemed like all the fighting was over. She kept out of the way of the guards, some of who still wandered around the building, not so because she was afraid, but because she didn't want to waste arrows or shurikens on them. She had a feeling she would need all her weapons before this was over.

“M'lady!” exclaimed a voice, as she came around a corner. A woman had lodged herself into a crevice in the wall and held a glowing blue sword as if prepared to defend her position at all costs. But at the sight of Kendra, she stepped forward, sheathing her sword.

“Oh, it's you, Alexa.” Kendra nodded a greeting as if this were the most conventional thing in the world. “I see you had some action here.”

The woman nodded. “Yes, milady. I was caught in the middle of it and I was afraid I wouldn't make it out safely, though so far I have survived unscathed.

“Good for you. What happened exactly?”

“Prime Minister Glosslav--he betrayed the prince. I didn't hear the full details of why--but he and his soldiers captured the prince and V'kaya of the Two Blades, as well as taking down a number of guards who remained loyal to the prince.”

“I was afraid of something like that. One should never trust a boy to do important work. Do you have any idea where Aiden and V'kaya are?”

“Yes, I heard them talking. They have imprisoned them in the old part of the city.”

Kendra nodded. She had never been there, but she was familiar with it. It was the original center of the capital which now had been so overrun by dragons and filled with dragonfire that it wasn't safe and had been sealed off. “Why there?”

“Because Glosslav's plan is for the prince to be killed by dragons. There are enough dragons there that it will only be a matter of time before one of them--”

“Well, I suppose it's already too late then,” remarked Kendra in a voice that showed no particular concern.

“Not yet. Glosslav left them with a shield projector. He didn't want them to be killed until all his men were clear. So that nobody could connect them to their death.”

“Oh, he did, did he? Then I might just have a chance. Alexa, can you do something for me?”

“Of course, Lady Kendra.”

“I need you to track down Glosslav. Don't engage with him. Just find out where he is and follow him. I want to be able to lay my hands on him when I need him. Now, I'm going to go see if I can track down Aiden before the dragons do.”

She escorted Alexa to the outside of the palace and with a few parting instructions, left her to perform her mission. Kendra then commandeered a horse from the royal stables--horses weren't common in the capital, but they had a few stabled there for state occasions. It wasn't the best horse she had ever seen, but it was better than trying to make time on foot. She knew she had only a small window of time to find and rescue Aiden and V'kaya. And, really, she didn't like the odds. She would have been discouraged if discouragement was an emotion she was capable of feeling.

And it took her longer to reach the old part of the city than she would have liked. She should have taken more time to familiarize herself with the city and its layout. If this were transpiring in her own wilds, she would have been much more optimistic about the outcome.

She left the horse at the border of the old section. Here everything was so much in ruins that the horse wouldn't make any better time than she would have. It was an oddly desolate scene of once-grand buildings (grander even than those which comprised the modern part of the capital) crumbled into ruins. And in random piles everywhere was the orange glow of dragonfire, the radioactive material that dragons produced and vomited out as their primary attack.

She didn't know exactly where in these ruins the two prisoners would be. And since they had been carried in through the air, it was impossible to track them. But if Glosslav wanted to make sure they would be spotted and attacked by dragons, he would probably put them up high somewhere. That was why Kendra clambered up to the roof of one of the ruined buildings and glanced around her. With the sharp eye of an experienced hunter, she quickly spotted her quarry, even though from this distance she couldn't seem them clearly. In the middle of the ruins, on a hill, a single circular building dominated the landscape. And on its roof were two figures.

She saw that clearly. And she also saw something else clearly. The large, orange body of a dragon flying slowly through the sky towards them.

Even with her crossbow, she couldn't hope to score a hit from this distance. Her shurikens were even more useless. She only had one hope. She pulled out the sword she had taken from Watson. The sword was a sound elemental weapon, meaning that it could generate loud phonetic vibrations as a form of attack. She swung the sword around as hard as she could, striking an old pillar in front of her. There was a loud BOOM and the pillar shivered into dust.

But the dragon didn't even turn its head. Either it hadn't heard or it didn't care.

That had been Kendra's only hope. And now that had failed. She had come too late to save Aiden and V'kaya.

The tale was over.

*

V'kaya of the Two Glaives had a slightly grimmer than usual expression. She had been a soldier almost all her life. She had known what it meant to lose friends and family to the dragons. She had always known that in her profession, it was only a matter of time until she was killed as well. It was a reality she was willing to accept.

But she hated the idea of facing death without being able to fight back. She and Aiden had been chained to the roof of the laboratory--the laboratory where Aiden I had created the dragons in the first place. There was an irony to it, but irony was not the main thing on V'kaya's mind at the moment. It was that idea of facing death in chains... “It is a dishonorable death for a soldier,” she commented out loud.

“We are almost beyond that point where honor matters,” returned Aiden, in a rather dejected voice.

“I think that is the worst of it.” V'kaya didn't look at him. “I was unable to save you. You will die here without my being able to lift a hand to help you.”

“You have done more than enough, V'kaya. We started this story together and I suppose it is only fair that we end it together. And I guess that end will be very soon,” he added.

As he spoke, the faint glow which had surrounded them flickered and vanished. The shield projector Glosslav had lost had run dry its battery, meaning now there was nothing to protect them from the dragons. V'kaya knew very well how many dragons lived in these ruins.

She glanced over at Aiden. His eyes were almost closed and had a faraway look in them. It wasn't fear nor was it sadness. It was only--wistful?

“It's only that--we were so close,” he commented, looking at the horizon. “Another day--even a few more hours--and we would have won the battle. And now, it was all for nothing. Especially, if Glosslav's men captured Gaius and Cason when they went for those cadmium rods. That just leaves Kendra, and with the rest of us gone, there won't be much she can do.”

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. V'kaya didn't want to break the silence, but she knew she had to say it since they had so little time left. “Not even death can erase my shame. I-I failed you, Aiden. You were captured because of me.”

“Don't say that. It was only a matter of time; Glosslav is too good of a soldier and he caught us at a disadvantage. Besides, well, such are the casualties of war.” He turned as far as his chains would let him. “Do you think that bothers me? You were the one who trained me to be a soldier. I know you think I'm naïve, but I always knew what it meant to be in this work. We have no reason for shame--we have fought the good fight; we have kept the faith.” He paused for a moment. “You know, this all seems like some kind of fairy tale. You always said I thought like a child. But I can't help thinking that even a child's fairy tale is more real than something like politics. We have been fighting a battle with real things. There is real evil in this world, cruel and dark as the dragons themselves. And that's the one thing I swore never to lose sight of--what is good and what is evil. My father recognized the evil of the dragons, and it drove him to despair. Kendra recognized the evil of the dragons, but she believed she could compromise with it, use it for something good. Cason recognized the evil of the dragons, and it made him bitter and calloused. The people of Locopolis and some here in the capital became so used to the dragons that they came to accept them and believe they were not evil. And Minister Glosslav refuses to consider the question at all because all he cares about his own political ideas. I swore I wouldn't be like any of those--that I would never stop fighting the evil of the dragons, but also that I would never lose sight of what is good--of the loyalty I have to my father, to this kingdom--and to you.”

“Your loyalty to me is long over,” said V'kaya rather brusquely. “I have long since ceased to be your teacher--indeed, you have surpassed me as a warrior.”

“That isn't what I meant.” Aiden turned away from her. “I know it is pointless to say this now. I know you probably don't want to hear this, but we are so close to death that such restraint is no longer relevant. There's a reason why, if I have to die, I almost glad to face death with you. You have been my teacher, my companion, and my friend. But beyond all that...”

“Yes?” asked V'kaya as he paused. There was a strange note to her voice. There was no way he was actually about to say what she thought he was going to say. And yet--

“I love you.” He still wasn't looking at her. “Of course,” he added hastily, “I know you don't look at me in that way. That's why I never said anything. I knew how awkward it would be and--”

V'kaya laughed. “You are both a soldier and a scholar, and as both, you are a fool, Aiden. You can slay a full-blown dragon with a single stroke and think up plans that would puzzle the brains of the greatest scientists in the kingdom--but you can't see the most obvious things right in front of you.”

“What are you saying?” Now he did turn to look at her.

She was staring out at the horizon. A dragon was flying towards them. They only had a minute or so left. “I love you, Aiden. I have since that day when you received the Dragon Glaive--that was when I realized it and realized I could not allow you to become what your father desired you to be. But you were my prince and I was your warrior. Of course, I could say nothing. And then Kendra came--”

Aiden actually laughed. “Kendra? So that's why you acted so jealous around her. I wondered, but I never thought--

“And like any other fool,” continued V'kaya watching the dragon as it neared them, “I have spoken too late.”

“Perhaps. This life is only a fairy tale after all and every fairy tale comes to an end. I was hoping for a happier ending, but any ending is still an end.”

V'kaya couldn't usually follow Aiden when he started talking philosophically, but this time she thought she understood.

But it didn't matter, because the dragon was up to them now. It hung in the air, its wings beating slowly as it gazed at them, its mouth partly open. V'kaya could see the jagged and uneven edges of its teeth and the forked, reptilian tongue. There was no expression in its eyes. They were just spheres of soulless yellow which stared unblinking at them.

Only, they weren't yellow. They were clear, like crystal.

“V'kaya! Look!” Aiden's voice rose in excitement.

The dragon hung the air motionless for a moment and as it did it changed. The orange scales grew lighter until they were yellow. And still they changed, from yellow to a translucent white like quartz. And then, it began to fall, but it never hit the ground. There was nothing but a handful of ashes and dust which blow away on the wind.

The dragon was gone.

“It's happened!” Aiden's voice was almost a shout now but still controlled. It was the voice, not of animal excitement, but of deliberate exaltation. “Look at the dragonfire!”

V'kaya had already noted. This whole section of the city had been filled with the glow of dragonfire. But as the dragon had vanished, so had it. Throughout all her range of vision, she could see no positive sign of the dragons. “What--”

“V'kaya, we did it. We won this war. We destroyed the dragons. I don't know for sure, but I believe that every dragon in the kingdom perished, exactly as that one did.”

“It is incredible. But how?”

Aiden shook his head. “I'm not sure. Someone had to use the Dragon Glaive and activate my atomic pile. We probably have Gaius and Cason to thank for this. Cason could have stolen the glaive back from Glosslav and Gaius might have the knowledge to activate the pile, though it would be a tricky business.”

“So this was your plan all along?”

“Yes. The dragons received their power from the radiation of that ore--the-rock-that-burns-as-fire. That is one half of the equation. The other half is the Dragon Glaive since it was formed from dragonfire, the fruit of the dragons' radioactive power. By putting those two forces together in exactly the right way, we would be able to create a chain reaction in every dragon, causing the radioactive elements within their body to decay into inert and harmless materials.”

V'kaya shook her head. She would never be able to follow Aiden's reasoning when he was talking as a scholar.

He seemed to sense her confusion. “Essentially, that pile I created was a bomb, a bomb which could only be triggered by the Dragon Glaive, and a bomb that would destroy dragons and dragons only. It's what's I've been working towards--and now my plan has been fulfilled, even if I wasn't the one to activate it. I can die happy now.”

“Oh, let's not be premature about the dying part,” spoke a voice. A second later, Kendra scrambled up onto the roof. “Sorry, I was almost too late. But I came as soon as I could.”

“Quickly, Kendra, what do you know about what's going on?” asked Aiden.

“I know that Glosslav betrayed you and tried to kill you. That's what I'm here for. But what happened to that dragon--?”

“That's a long story,” answered Aiden. “And it's not over yet. We have beaten the dragons, but we still have to defeat Glosslav.”

Kendra placed a hand on her hip and smiled. “That may be easier than you think.”

*

Prince Aiden II walked down the street with a spring in his step. During the course of the day, he had been betrayed and defeated. He had come within seconds of death. And yet it was all he could do to keep from turning a handspring or doing some other equally undignified expression of joy. V'kaya strode along behind him while Kendra, riding her horse, rode beside them. (She had offered the horse to Aiden, but he had declined. He had no love for riding.) As they entered the main part of the town, everything was in a hubbub. It confirmed what Aiden had theorized. All over town, the same thing had occurred. Everywhere that the dragons were, they were no longer. Every patch of dragonfire which smoldered in the town had vanished. In one moment, the shadow of the dragons had been dispelled completely in the capital. “Of course,” he explained, “we will have to do some checking and find out what happened in the rest of the kingdom. I don't know exactly what the blast radius will have been. But if there are still dragons out there, we now hold the key to defeating them.”

Both of the women seemed rather awed by it, even though neither one would actually admit it. “To think, all those generations of fighting,” remarked V'kaya in a low voice. “And then, victory is brought in one moment.”

“We never could have reached this point without the valor and sacrifice of all those battles,” answered Aiden quietly. “But, now, perhaps, peace will come upon this kingdom at last.” He broke off suddenly.

“Do you really mean to tell me that you let them escape?” From nowhere, Minister Glosslav's voice boomed across the street. “Are you so incompetent that a boy and an old man escaped so easily?”

“Oh, that must be Cason and Gaius. I was wondering where they were.” Kendra seemed unsurprised by the event.

Aiden and V'kaya had both stopped still in the street and glanced around. “Where is that coming from?”

“Oh, just a little something I've been working on. You know my father was a scientist before he became a barbarian. He left an old prototype that I was able to get working with some help. It's a device that broadcasts a person's voice. I left a friend shadowing Glosslav and now she's using it to broadcast his voice all over town. I meant to use it to help you with your proclamation, but this may be more useful.”

“You are always full of surprises, Kendra.”

Glosslav was talking again. “I must go out and address the people. They must hear my version before those two get the chance to start trouble. If people learned that I had betrayed the prince and his friends and plotted to kill them, we would have trouble.”

Aiden, V'kaya, and Kendra exchanged a silent glance and then began walking more quickly. They were almost to the palace complex by now.

A large crowd had gathered in the courtyard beside the walls of the complex. This was a gathering for public announcements on the rare occasions that the government made them. Everyone knew that Prince Aiden was to make a proclamation and so many people were gathered. But even more were gathering by the minute. Aiden and his companions reached the area at about the same moment that Glosslav stepped out onto the wall above the courtyard. There was a large, clear area on the wall that acted as a sort of speaker's platform.

“As many of you know, his highness, Prince Aiden was to address you today on a matter of national importance,” the man was saying his most dignified voice. “This matter concerned the dragons. But sadly it is my duty to announce to you that your prince has met his end. He and V'kaya of the Two Blades were killed this morning--by dragons.”

“And would you tell us whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, Glosslav?” asked Aiden, walking out behind him.

The man spun and for once in his life, he seemed completely nonplussed. “Prince Aiden! How are you still alive?”

“Especially after you tried to kill me, you mean? You put your money on the wrong horse, Glosslav. This war is over and you throw in your lot with the wrong side. The dragons are gone. Wiped out in one glorious blast of absolution. Your scheme of treason and murder was all for nothing.”

Glosslav gave a laugh, but it was not quite as solid or confidant as his normal manner. “Do you really think anyone would believe such a story?”

“This entire city heard you admit to plotting against me. You are a traitor, Glosslav--and a coward who chose to use deception and treachery rather than open conflict. I do not think you can count on much support even from your pro-dragon friends.” Aiden turned and walked over to the edge to look over the crowd. “What do you say, my friends? For the first time in centuries, the skies of this kingdom are free of dragons. For the first time in your lives, you can live your life without fear that any moment death may swoop down on you. The curse of our sins has been broken and a new day is dawning. Are you sorry?”

There was a thunderous cheer from the crowd. Kendra held her sword up to her ear and then nodded. “That seems to be the reaction we are picking up all over town. I think Glosslav overestimated how much pro-dragon sentiment there was to begin with.”

Glosslav stared balefully at the prince and then drew his glaive. “You have won, but the battle is not over. I am armed and I can still--” And then he gave a rather undignified scream and crumbled to the ground.

“Really don't like listening to people like him talk,” said Cason, coiling up his whip.

“Perhaps a little excessive, but I suppose it will keep him quiet for a moment,” remarked Gaius, looking reflectively at the fallen politician.

Aiden turned to them with a pleased expression. “I was worried about you two. I am glad to see you are safe. Thank you so much, Gaius. I don't know what I would have done without you.

Gaius looked puzzled. “What do you mean, your highness?”

“Well, activating the pile--”

“I haven't been back to the worksite since this morning. I was captured at the vault. Cason took the cadmium rods back and then came to help me escape--and then we came straight here. I am afraid my small knowledge as a scientist would not be equal to the task you speak of regardless.”

“But then--” Aiden broke off. “Gaius, Kendra, Cason--you three keep things under control here. There are still soldiers in the palace who are loyal to Glosslav. It could get messy. V'kaya and I are going to the pile and see what happened there.” He commandeered two sets of flight gear from the guards on duty and the next instant, he and V'kaya were winging their way through the air in the direction of the worksite.

“I can't imagine what could have happened,” remarked Aiden as they flew. “The pile couldn't have activated on its own. And nobody knew of it except the five of us.”

“Glosslav apparently had been spying on us,” V'kaya reminded him. “Perhaps one of his people betrayed him and activated it.”

“Perhaps.” Aiden was silent for a moment. For the last several minutes, events had been happening so quickly, his mind hadn't had time to focus on all of them. His exaltation at the destruction of the dragons was so great, he had had little time for anything else. But now-- “By the way, V'kaya,” he added in a low voice, “I know before I spoke under the shadow of death--but I meant what I said. I--”

“There will be time to talk of that when this is over,” she said. And then she smiled grimly. “We must first make sure that Kendra is not broadcasting every word we say to the entire city.”

Aiden laughed at this.

And the next moment they were at the worksite. There were two guards at the door but they stepped back in consternation as Aiden and V'kaya landed in front of them. The prince didn't bother even giving them a second glance as he pushed past them and into the building. And then he stopped abruptly.

There, standing in the shadows of the building, was a pale, haggard figure, standing uncertainly and leaning against a pillar for support. Aiden stared at the figure in disbelief for a moment and then rushed forward. “Father?”

Anados smiled wanly. “Aiden... you are all right.” His voice and manner were weak and broken, very unlike himself. But his eyes were clear and there was nothing of his former madness. “This morning--I think it was only this morning--I heard Glosslav talking. He was here. He said you were going to be killed. By the dragons. I knew--I knew I had to save you. I found your notes and the Dragon Glaive. So I tried to complete your idea. Did it--did it work?”

“It worked. The dragons are gone.” For a moment, Aiden looked nothing like a prince, nothing like a soldier or a scholar. For one moment, he was just a boy, looking at his father. “I have fulfilled your dream. The war with the dragons is over. The shadow is gone forever. We won.”

“You saved the kingdom. And you saved me. I could ask for no more.”

*

I am Gaius of the North. And now I have recorded the full story of the end of the war of the dragons. There were a few dragons on the very outer border of the kingdom which survived the blast, but they had been weakened enough it was easy to track them down and destroy them. There were also a few pockets of pro-dragon sympathizers, but they were too small and too scattered to cause any real trouble.

Anados had completely returned to sanity, but his nerves and his constitution were never quite the same, and he decided against retaking the throne. He served as an advisor and secretary for the government for a time until he went into retirement and spent his days reading and playing chess. Against my better judgment, I allowed myself to be talked into taking the job of prime minister for a time and was virtual ruler of the country during Aiden and V'kaya's honeymoon.

Aiden is a good king; his courage and insight have led the kingdom to new heights. It is not a golden age; there have been times of hardship and even a war or two (V'kaya always said she couldn't have stood it if there were only peace), but by in large his reign has been a time of prosperity and contentment for the kingdom--and how much more can you ask for? They have no children, and Aiden is considering forming a new republican government for the kingdom to take over when he can no longer rule.

There might have been more external and internal conflicts if it were not for the kingdom's new Chief of Espionage. Cason has put his talents to patriotic uses and it seems that no threat can be raised inside or outside the kingdom with his finding out about it. He has never quite lost his cynical and anti-social attitude, but at least he has never been known to steal again. Strangely enough, he met a girl who had a similar background and disposition to his--they are now married and have five children; none of whom have soon any dishonest tendencies as yet.

Another boon the country has had is Kendra's invention which has helped bring in a new age of information, though Aiden has been known to remark that he thought the dragons were at least quieter. There isn't a town in the kingdom which is not equipped with the broadcasting equipment. The sales made Kendra a rich woman; aside from the money set aside to take care of her father's estate, the rest was invested in the people of the wilds who, with the money and Kendra's leadership, have advanced dramatically and are now--almost--civilized.

As for me, after my brief stint in politics, I retired, though I am still ready whenever Aiden needs my help; but there is now a new generation for him to rely on. After my retirement, I did spend a chunk of time trying to help Glosslav. When he realized the colossal measure of his failure and the depth of his fall, his mind snapped. Despite my best efforts, I was never able to restore him to sanity. To this day, you can find him in a containment cell, making political speeches to invisible audiences and arranging Machiavellian schemes with unseen political engines.  He alone found a fairy tale that never ends.