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  When they finally caught up with Dion he was struggling up one of the slopes, already quite far away from Aquia. He was noticeably red in face and winded, but did not stop even when he saw them getting near.

  "Climb on," said Kerkio when he drove the carriage next to Dion and slowed the giant bird down to match Dion's speed. He moved his spear to the other side to make room for Dion.

  "This little bird is really tough," said Kerkio sounding honestly impressed. "It's tethered to a carriage that is burdened with a passenger of noticeable size - the dragon seems to be about the size and weight of a bear preparing for winter sleep, and yet it caught up with you in no time. Roga is riding the same bird without a carriage, a dragon, or the two of us. We cannot hunt her down like this, especially with you on foot. She is already far away."

  Dion continued walking next to the carriage for a while longer in silence and avoided Kerkio's eyes. He could still feel that his eyelashes were wet.

  "Who would want to do that to children?" asked Dion. His voice was angry but he calmed down as soon as he let that question out of him.

  "I do not know, but they won't do anything. They haven't. That's the only thing that matters and the only thing that we could have a say in," Kerkio tried to comfort Dion and it looked to be successful.

  "All the fortune of the world was on the side of those kids this morning," said Dion.

  "That's true," replied Kerkio and saw Dion's face change once again.

  "What is it now?" Kerkio asked.

  "All the fortune..." Dion repeated in a quieter voice, but Kerkio managed to hear him even over the thumping of the bird's claws against the soft dirt road and the squealing of the wheels.

  "The gods gave you good fortune," said Dion louder when he recalled the sentence.

  "Where did you get that idea from?"

  "The Grey told me that in Lorei, a few moments before you and I met at the river."

  Kerkio shrugged.

  "I'm hungry. I don't care about the Grey or what he said. I would just like to bring this journey to an end."

  "Climb up, will you? So we can get to Tialoch before sundown and we'll get there if this chicken continues running as fast as it can." The giant bird fluttered its wings and crowed once as if it understood him.

  "I am afraid that we are not heading to the same city we set out to reach," said Dion and sat to the right of Kerkio on a seat made of a single fat plank on the front side of the carriage. There was exactly room on it for two grown men.

  "If the dragon was really speaking about Tialoch, we will be met by ruins and war."

  Kerkio commanded the bird to go faster, snapping the leather reins gently so he only touched its feathers lightly, and then he looked at Dion.

  "What exactly did the dragon say to you in Aquia?"

  "He told me that half the city burned, but not the half where the king sits. Do you think they could have entered into Tialoch through the Tree? Taren thought so at the council."

  "They entered into all three Echas. It is certainly possible that they have also appeared in Tialoch but let's wait until we get to the north side of this hill. Maybe we see something if the weather on the horizon is fine and the treetops allow our eyes to see that far."

  "I thought you didn't know these parts," said Dion and that made Kerkio laugh briefly.

  "Of course I know them. I know all the parts of our kingdom, including parts of Syevnor, even though I was never there."

  "Then why did you let me choose our path to Tialoch?" asked Dion, ashamed suddenly and frustrated at the same time.

  "I wanted to see for myself how good you are with map reading, decision making, leading. Taking into account all that happened recently, you were very good."

  Dion felt warmth in his cheeks and hoped it wasn't visible. He was angry at himself for not realizing he was being watched the whole time, but he also felt a little bit proud.

  "We are obliged to report to Telurion, the commander of the King's legion, whenever we see someone fit to train to be in the legion. Having spent these few days with you I will not have doubts praising you in my report, regardless of your opinion of our legions, one or the other."

  "You are welcome," added Kerkio and poked Dion in the ribs when he saw that Dion wasn't about to say anything.

  "What else do you have in that bag of yours?" he changed the subject. "I am not lying when I say that I'm really hungry. My bag is still in Galinos's room so I am at your mercy."

  Dion went through his bag again and that refreshed his memory.

  "Oh, I left the dried meat in the middle of that meadow in Aquia. Maybe for the better, now that I remember what else we smelled there."

  He continued searching, ignored the jar of honey, and found the last food item he was left with. He took it out of the bag and showed it to Kerkio.

  Kerkio took his eyes from the road to look at the food.

  "I can't get away from that cheese," he said with a defeated smile.

  Dion was about to return it to the bag, but Kerkio laid his hand on Dion's.

  "No, no. This time I don't mind. I might only mind if there isn't enough."

  He threw a large piece of cheese into his mouth and then commanded the bird nearer the left edge of the road as he chewed. He stopped them when they reached a few trees that were far enough apart that they could see between them toward the north. They could see the southernmost farms that were feeding Tialoch but they had already gone so far downhill that they could not see all the way to the city itself. Tialoch was hiding behind the horizon.

  The road took them downhill and west again onto a vast plain dotted with farms and trees through which the Naumona flowed, now on their right side.

  The Northern road was in front of them. It was perfectly straight between Mara and Tialoch, and built mindfully so it would last for millennia. It was positioned just far enough from Naumona for floods to never reach it, and its stones were ever so slightly raised in the middle so rainwater would wash away from it.

  "Well finally!" exclaimed Kerkio and laughed upon seeing the road. Dion joined him with a hearty laugh and their laughter made the dragon finally peek out of the carriage.

  "Ada. An Kralogrod!" said the dragon.

  "The king's city, the dragon said it again." Dion translated to Kerkio and his mood soured. "So it is Tialoch that burns. He really was speaking about Tialoch."

  "Don't draw bad images in your head beforehand. We head for Tialoch as quickly as the bird can take us."

  The bird stepped onto the stones of the Northern road and began running in earnest.

  It seemed tireless for miles. The constant clatter of wheels put both Dion and the dragon asleep, and even Kerkio dozed off occasionally. He opened his eyes now and again to note their location and he was pretty sure the bird was giving him an evil look every time their eyes met, but he wasn't sure if that was something he only imagined during one of his naps or if the bird really held something against him.

  ✽✽✽

  Kerkio woke up. Dion was still sleeping next to him, hugging his battle standard. They were no longer moving. The bird had gone off the road where the grass was the softest and seemed to be resting now. Kerkio noticed that it wasn't looking at him angrily anymore and then he spotted an egg on the ground next to it.

  "Oh," said Kerkio. "You are quickly becoming my best friend," he said to the bird and then returned his gaze to the egg that was the size of a decent lamb.

  He nudged Dion awake and jumped off the carriage while Dion stretched and yawned.

  "See if you can get the dragon out of the carriage," said Kerkio. "I will need fire, and he should be able to help in that regard." He went into one of the patches of farmland that was left to rest and was back quickly with a load of dry branches but ran back to fetch more.

  Dion went to help him and after a few rounds and with the help of the still tired dragon they not only had a large fire but also plenty of embers. Kerkio carefully pierced the top of the egg with his knife and placed it
into the fire. He stopped toying with the embers only when his leather boots got so hot that his toes started hurting from the searing heat.

  Foam mixed with steam soon started bubbling out of the top of the egg and the smell of half-cooked, half-fried eggs filled the air around the fire. The thick shell had cracked in a few places but the egg did not break apart.

  They rolled the egg out of the fire when they were sure it was done, and Dion and Kerkio ate as much as they could before they gave the rest to the dragon who ate everything, even the crunchy shell.

  "Spat opet," said the dragon when he was finished and this time closed the doors of the carriage behind him after he went in.

  "He went to sleep again," said Dion.

  "He's not really talkative," replied Kerkio.

  "Maybe for a dragon he is, but you're right. We should continue to Tialoch."

  ✽✽✽

  Noon became early afternoon and two very familiar hills appeared in the distance. Between them and over them sprawled the capital city of the kingdom. Naumona flowed next to the eastern hill and the city walls that were built around the hill and as close to the river as possible. A tall stone bridge led over the Naumona directly to the city's Eastern gates, a bridge that was now overflowing with a river of people entering the city from the east.

  "That is a familiar but unwelcome image," said Kerkio. He sounded tense. "There are thousands of them. Thin Islanders most likely."

  Dion's eyes were on the opposite hill, watching the pillars of smoke rising behind the walls of the west part of the city.

  "The Great Oak," Dion sighed.

  "The kingdom," replied Kerkio.

  "How can I ask the king's help now?" asked Dion. He was ready to cry. Kerkio felt the same despair, but something else drew his attention. He heard a sound coming from the south. It was distant, but it was there, and it sounded like screaming or roaring, or both. Someone was on the Northern road behind them.

  "Quick!" shouted Kerkio. "I don't think we want to wait for whoever that is."

  He took the reins and commanded the giant bird faster down the last two miles of road that led to the Southern gates. There was already a group of legionary horsemen in front of the gates guarding a large group of workers preparing defenses.

  "What are they doing?" Kerkio shouted when he saw the horsemen get into an attack formation and slowly speed up towards them.

  "Climb up there," Kerkio shouted to Dion and pointed with his head over his right shoulder towards the roof of the carriage.

  "Be quick. Unfold that standard!" he added and then stood up in the front of the carriage and started waving. He hoped the men charging towards them would be able to see the armor of the South legion before it was too late. The horsemen in turn gained more speed.

  "This bird will cost me my head if it doesn't listen to me now," thought Kerkio as Dion climbed onto the carriage's roof, helping himself by pushing against Kerkio's shoulder.

  "Legion!" shouted Kerkio, still trying to identify himself to the approaching horsemen.

  "Bird! Better be quick on your feet when I pull at the reins," he shouted to the bird, already planning his next move.

  "Strah?" asked the dragon nervously after he opened the carriage door and looked up over the edge of the roof at Dion whose hands were wrestling with the standard.

  "No fear," Dion replied nervously. "We are good," he said and waved the standard from side to side, hoping that the horsemen would see the gold dragon knitted into the cloth of the standard and understand who Dion and Kerkio were before someone made a mistake.

  "Croaking?"

  Dion was certain he could hear birds croaking above his head and when he looked up he saw a white raven flying on the left side of the carriage, slowing to match the carriage's speed.

  "My father's raven!" he thought feverishly and instantly forgot about the legion's horsemen.

  "My raven!" his mind corrected itself.

  "Grak!" croaked the raven. It made Kerkio glance at it for a moment.

  "Grak! Isah!" Dion heard the raven speak.

  "He speaks?"

  Dion looked behind the carriage just like the raven told him to.

  "Kerkio! They are close! Look behind us!"

  Kerkio turned and saw what it was that was coming at them from the south. Ten giant boars, each the size of the young dragon they drove in the carriage. Gnarly monsters, like the ones that came out of Echa Rei's Tree, rode the boars. Each of them carried several spears in long quivers on their backs. They rode without a saddle or reins, and held onto the long hairs growing on the boars' massive necks.

  "Dion! Hold on," shouted Kerkio and turned once more towards the horsemen from Tialoch.

  "Behind us! Watch out!" he waved for them to look behind the carriage and shouted even louder at them until his face was red and the veins on his neck bulged and pulsated.

  "Bird! Go right!" Kerkio commanded the bird and pulled the reins. The carriage shook when the bird changed direction and Dion knelt and grabbed the edge of the carriage's roof.

  The carriage was off the road and the horsemen now saw the boars clearly. They looked at each other and then commanded their horses to charge at the boars. The carriage was spared.

  "Strah, Zmai! Strah!" Dion now shouted in the old language at the same time as the giant bird obeyed Kerkio's new command and began turning south to join the charge of the horsemen.

  The dragon launched himself out of the carriage and his jump threw Dion off balance, but somehow he managed to keep himself from falling off the carriage.

  More croaking filled the air, and this time Dion could hear two distinct voices.

  "Grak! Teb love!" croaked the black raven as he flew so close to Dion that he almost flew into his ear.

  "It's you they're hunting!"

  "Grak! Lovki an magya!" said the white raven.

  "Hunters of magic."

  Dion looked towards the boar riders trying to figure out why the raven called them that but then it became clear to him.

  "The acorns in my bag!"

  The horsemen came within striking distance of the boars but the hunters dispersed, avoiding the clash with the legionaries.

  Three boar riders turned towards the Naumona and ran straight for the dragon. The larger group turned west and the legion's horsemen went in pursuit.

  "Dion! Hold on! I'm going after those three!" shouted Kerkio and then commanded the bird to turn left towards the Naumona.

  The carriage turned but struck a rogue stone and threw Dion on his side. He banged his head against the roof and as soon as his head bounced back up he saw a small puddle of his own blood filling the small gaps in the dry wood of the roof. An instant later two large spears flew above his head and over the carriage, but then the legion's horsemen appeared among the two hunters who split from the larger group trying to reach the carriage. The legion's swords were much more suited for close combat and the large spears of the hunters were cut down before they could be stabbed with or thrown.

  "This was a bad idea!" yelled Kerkio as he was trying to get the carriage to turn back towards the city and help the dragon.

  "Is your head in one piece?" he asked.

  "I'm fine! Get to the dragon!"

  Two hunters were coming straight at the dragon from the south while a third one planned on flanking him from the east.

  At the last moment before impact, the dragon spread his wings and jumped over the boars at their two riders and used his wings as blunt weapons. He roared from both anger and pain when one of the spears ripped through the skin of his right wing but he tore both riders down from their boars, who now riderless, continued running north aimlessly.

  The breathless, broken riders crashed to the ground. Their arms and legs flailed in the air for a moment more but then they too fell to the ground. The dragon descended behind their bodies, but before he could recover completely the third hunter was upon him. His spear was useless against the dragon's scales but the boar's curved tusks were not.

&n
bsp; The boar thrust from the ground up and struck beneath one of the scales on his left side and threw the dragon on his side. The beast then bit the dragon's left hind leg and the hunter prepared to finish the felled dragon when Kerkio brought the carriage into the fight. His spear pierced the hunter and broke when the hunter fell from his hairy steed. Not having to worry anymore about defending against the hunter's spear, the dragon pushed himself off the ground and grabbed hold of the boar's side. His teeth ripped through both meat and bone of the boar's hind leg and the boar's teeth loosened its grip instantly. Panicked, it began retreating, and the dragon let the bloodied beast go.

  "Zmai!" shouted Dion as he ran towards the dragon as fast as wind. "Esi dober!?" he asked.

  "Is he all right?" asked Kerkio the same question.

  "Ada, lyud! Al malo strgan!" the dragon replied and pointed to one of his wings.

  "Yes," replied Dion to Kerkio in the dragon's stead. "He says he's ok, just a little bit broken."

  A woman's hoarse, almost screeching voice then howled in the distance. Dion couldn't see clearly until he wiped away the blood filling his right eyebrow, but then he saw her, at the western edge of the city walls - a black figure on a giant bird surrounded by at least a dozen magic hunters and with more coming towards her from the west.

  Roga.

  "Kerkio?" asked Dion with a voice that was suddenly overflowing with hate.

  "I see her," he replied softly.

  "Kerkio!" Dion repeated angrily.

  "I know, but no. She is out of our reach, and her forces far outmatch ours. We have to get inside the city so you can tell the king about her."

  Chapter 10 - The King

  "What are you Southerners doing here?" asked a young, clean-shaven legionary with a head full of curly reddish hair when he greeted them at the gates.

  Dion and the dragon walked behind the carriage as they entered the city, and Kerkio made sure the giant bird walked slowly. The legionary rode next to the carriage and frequently turned in his saddle to look at the newcomers and ask them more questions. To Kerkio's surprise, the legionary did not seem to be surprised by the sight of either the giant bird or the dragon.