Chapter 6 S2

-Mahi look, that tree is a filantier. 

A child looked up at the flowers her mother was showing her. 

-It's a very useful tree for healing, its leaves are used to heal wounds. You can soak them in Toune sap to speed up the process. 

The child listened attentively. Her mother's lessons were very valuable to her and she took particular care to remember what she told her. 

-You coat the wound with it and leave the poultice on for ten hours. Your wound is healed after that. 

The young woman stroked her daughter's hair. She loved spending time with her, passing on her knowledge of plants and animals. Far from the city and the angels, she was bringing her up in harmony with nature, just as she herself had grown up with dragons. She wanted to pass on this love to her daughter and tell her that life was not what the Myrthian angels had rejected in recent decades. 

The child turned her blue eyes towards her and smiled. Her heart sank. Just seeing her daughter's radiant smile made her forget all the problems that had been weighing on her mind lately. 

-Mahi, are you happy? she asked without thinking. 

-Yes! Mahi is happy with Mum and Dad! Mahi wants to live her whole life like that with Uncle Rayel too! 

The child responded with unabashed enthusiasm. Her mother picked her up and embraced her. Her heart swelled with love. Of all the things that had happened to her in life, Mahi was undoubtedly the most beautiful. 

-Mum is happy to be with Mahi too," she said, rubbing her nose against her daughter's cheek, who started to laugh. 

-Mum, you're tickling me! 

Reluctantly, the young woman set off for home. She would have liked to stay longer, but duty called. There were days when she told herself that she could go and live in the mountains with her daughter, her companion and Rayel, never again seeing the Myrthian civilisation that she disapproved of so much, and end her life that way. Everything in her was calling her to live in the depths of nature with the people she loved, but she didn't want to impose this choice on her daughter. To deny her access to the city was to deprive her of a chance to integrate with the other angels and remain isolated for the rest of her life.

Just thinking about such a possibility made her heart ache. She couldn't condemn her daughter to the isolation she herself had chosen after years of living among her own kind. Her daughter deserved to build a family and surround herself with people who would stay with her once she and her companion were no longer of this world. 

-Mahi, do you want to go to school next year? she asked the child as they walked back towards their house. 

The child looked at her astonished with a hint of fear in his eyes. 

-You'll be able to discover lots of new things and make friends," his mother explained tenderly. 

-Friends like Uncle Rayel? 

Her mother laughed at the sudden remark. 

-Ah, some who are more like Mum and Dad," she tried to explain without disturbing her. 

-But as nice as Uncle Rayel and Mummy and Daddy? 

The woman remained silent for a moment. 

-Well, you'll meet nice people like Uncle Rayel, and others who aren't as nice, who aren't as caring, who have other concerns than you. You'll meet different people with whom you'll get on more or less, but who will all have something to offer you in one way or another. 

The child frowned. She didn't seem to understand what her mother was saying. To bring her out of her sulky mood, her mother placed her index finger in the middle of her forehead, making her pretty eyes light up. The child shook her head in protest and nuzzled into her mother's neck. 

-Mahi wants to stay with Mum, Dad, and Uncle Rayel..." she muttered. 

The young woman smiled. She hated having to impose this on her, but her daughter wouldn't remain a child all her life. She was going to grow up and she had to be prepared for that. 

As they reached a large stone house surrounded by wild trees and flowers, voices could be heard coming from the front of the house. The young woman kept her distance. She was afraid to find out who one of the voices belonged to. She moved a little closer and was not pleased to see that her premonition had been right. Outside the door of their house, her companion and a tall angel carrying an axe with both hands behind his back were chatting on the doorstep. 

A few steps away from them, she placed Mahi on the ground and crouched down, taking his hands. 

-Mahi, would you be a big girl and go and prepare the table while Mummy and Daddy talk to the man? she asked him in a gentle voice. 

A little intimidated by the newcomer, whom she had never seen before, the child nodded and entered the house without saying a word. Her mother stood up and approached the two angels. Her smile had left her lips. 

-I think I made it clear that I didn't want any members of the army to come to my house, Captain," she began sharply. 

-Lady Lycanthe, I apologise for disturbing you and your husband, but I had to see you urgently...

-You could simply have sent me one of your minions rather than come and disturb our peace like this," she retorted, throwing blades at him with her eyes. And Nélisar is not my husband, whether you like it or not. 

The man called Nélisar put a hand on the young woman's arm in an attempt to calm her down. The young woman refrained from saying more for the sake of her companion. 

-I sincerely apologise, but I had no other choice! The situation is critical and you must intervene, Lady Lycanthe! Without you, our civilisation will descend into chaos if we let this happen! 

The man seemed desperate. There was a gleam in his eyes that contrasted with his solid build, which made him look as if he could take on any enemy. The distress in his eyes did not bode well. 

-Darling, listen to what he has to say," urged his companion. I don't think Hector is so unreasonable as to have come all this way without a good reason. 

Lycanthe looked at the man standing beside him. His chestnut gaze kept making her flinch, and there was nothing she could do about it. She didn't have it in her to stand up to him, who was so calm by nature, unlike her, who flared up at the slightest annoyance. 

-Ah... speak, I'm listening," she finally gave in. 

-Lady Lycanthe, this is catastrophic, I don't know how to stop...how to stop the queen! the man didn't hesitate to start talking. 

-The queen? Irene? Why is that? Lycanthe frowned. 

-She's planning to launch a campaign to annex all the surrounding Tirithian provinces! We've got to stop her! 

The young woman sighed. 

-That again?" she snapped. Listen, Hector, I don't care about the Queen's desire for conquest, and I don't really care. If she wants to send her army to certain doom to satisfy her desire for domination over the tirithes, let her. Losing disgracefully will be the only thing that stops her and you know as well as I do that the Myrthian army is no match for the power of the tirithes. I would remind you that we have the dragons with us. If she thinks she can cope...

-The Queen has obtained the Endragon, the stone that dominates the will of dragons! She intends to subject the last dragons to her will with it and use it to turn their strength against the tirithes!

Lycanthe was stunned. The Endragon? But this stone was known only to dragonriders and she was the last one to know of its existence or how to find it. There was no way Irene could have got her hands on it. 

-You absolutely must stop her! If she uses the stone to carry out her plan, the tirithes won't stand a chance! It'll be a bloodbath! I beg you, don't let her carry out her plan...

The captain was desperate. Lycanthe couldn't believe what she'd just heard. If Irene really had found the Endragon... how could she? Even she didn't know its exact location... As her brain churned with the unanswered questions that suddenly assailed her, Nélisar intervened. 

-I'll try to talk to my sister, surely I can convince her," he began. 

-Messire Nélisar! I implore you! Make your sister see reason! 

-What about my brother-in-law? Why hasn't he done anything to try and stop her? 

-Ah...I fear the King no longer has the physical or mental strength to reason with the Queen. His health continues to deteriorate and he has been bedridden for several weeks...

The captain raised his head in hope. 

-Only you and Lady Lycanth can do something," he continued. I beg you, stop the Queen in her tracks, she's going to ruin us all! I'm not working for royalty to kill my brothers and sisters and sully our people with an evil past that will haunt future generations forever! 

Lycanthe bit her lip. She had always sensed Irène's greed. She knew that the darkness that invaded her would get the better of her at some point and that she would end up taking the wrong path. Power was an obsession for her and she knew she couldn't help but succumb to its baseness. Even when she had set out to seduce the king, who was only a prince at the time, she had felt the ambition that was eating away at her get the better of her. Irène was a poison that was corrupting their society and endangering the lives of thousands of innocent people for the sake of her own ambitions, and her perfidy drove her to the worst abuses to achieve her ends. 

She had always held her companion's sister in contempt and time had only made things worse. Now she was threatening not only the existence of her people but also that of her family. For there was no way that Irene would not order her to take part in the attack, even though she was a dragonrider and therefore insubordinate to the orders of the kingdom. She gritted her teeth. Her whole being hated this person and his evil ambitions. 

-Hector, go back to the castle," she finally intervened, interrupting the conversation the two men had started on the subject. 

-But...

-Go back! I'll follow in just under an hour. 

-Lady Lycanthe...

She sighed. 

-I'm going to try and reason with Irene," she finally conceded. We can't let her do as she pleases, especially if it means the death of all my people. 

-Thank you so much! Thank you so much! Without you we're totally powerless, you and Messir Nélisar are the only ones who can stop her! 

Hector gave him a look of infinite gratitude. 

-Our chances of success are infinitesimal, I hope you realise that," retorted Lycanthe, who didn't like the way the situation was shaping up. Irene is not an easy person to reason with, so I'll do everything I can, but I can't guarantee anything. 

-No one will hold it against you if you fail, but just knowing that you'll try invigorates my spirit! Thanks to your intervention, the other nobles and knights will surely withdraw their support, and Endragon or not, she won't be able to start a war without the support of her nobility. 

-Let's hope you're right," replied Lycanthe, who didn't share the captain's enthusiasm. In any case, go back there and I'll join you as soon as I've sorted a few things out here...

She was about to continue when a small voice called to her from behind. 

-Mum, Dad, I've finished preparing the table, when are you coming? I'm hungry...

Nélisar turned to take their daughter in her arms and lead her inside. 

-Mum's having a serious discussion and we're going to start eating without her," he said, closing the door behind him. 

-Hector, listen to me carefully. If anything happens, I have to protect my daughter before anything else. I'm not coming as a dragonrider and I'm going to try to convince Nél to stay with Mahi. I hope you understand that I have to protect my family first and foremost. 

The man stared at her with a straight face. She knew he understood. He too had a wife and children, he too would put his family first no matter what. If he was reasonable, he would understand her request. 

-If anything happens to me, I want you to promise to leave Mahi and Nél out of it. Nél refused to join the royal council to escape his sister and the world he hates, so don't force him to choose his family for the sake of power. Let them be free of that witch Irene. I'll sacrifice myself to stop her, but I refuse to see them suffer because of her. 

Hector nodded quietly. I

-I give you my word, Dame Lycanthe. And Messir Rayel? 

Lycanthe raised an eyebrow. Rayel was a different kettle of fish. She knew the dragon wouldn't listen to her. He would do as he pleased, Endragon or no Endragon. 

-Rayel is free to move as far as I know," she replied, looking away. There's nothing I can do about him. If he decides to come despite the danger....Well, let him, there's nothing you can do to stop him anyway. 

The angel nodded. 

-Agreed. I do apologise," he finally said. It would seem that I am unable to fulfill my mission as Captain of the Guard on my own and that I must constantly call on you when you have clearly been disengaged from royal affairs for some time... I know I'm making an unreasonable request but I don't know how else to do it. You're the only person... You're the only person powerful enough to stop him. 

Lycanthe watched him for a moment. She respected this man, although she didn't understand his choice to serve a king and queen for the rest of his life. She had been born free by nature and had grown up in the freedom that cradled dragon riders, but she couldn't understand how an upright, intelligent person could choose to serve someone else at the cost of his life. But everyone was different and she couldn't judge another based on her own perceptions of life. 

-Hector, we are both victims of this monster who has taken over the kingdom," she replied in a softer tone. While none of us would wish to fight for such a person, we are also responsible for having let him seize so much power. We were cowards in our past decisions and we are paying for it today. Let this be a lesson to us for the future if we come out of this alive. 

Hector seemed to meditate for a moment before replying. 

-Your wisdom is one of your greatest virtues, Lady Lycanthe, last dragonrider of the Tirithe people. 

Lycanthe held back a smile. If all men of power could be like Hector, upright and humble. 

-Go away instead of talking rubbish," she dismissed him with a wave of her hand. Hold her back as long as you can until I get there and call on the council. I want all the nobles of the court to witness our confrontation. 

The captain saluted and left without adding anything more. Lycanthe turned around and looked up. She'd built this house with Nél. They'd spent years laying the stones that formed the walls, enlarging it, furnishing it... with Mahi, it was their life's work. A simple little life, in the hollow of a wooded valley where a spring flowed. For them, it was paradise. They had fought hard for this little piece of paradise, and they had been happy ever since. 

Lycanthe knew that this happiness would not last and that one day she would have to fulfill her role as a dragonrider. She knew she would never be able to escape, but she had put off that moment as long as possible. And fortunately, she was prepared. 

Drawing on her inner strength, she gathered the natural energy she had stored up all these years and projected it towards the house. The seal she had placed under the foundations was activated and a soft golden light enveloped the building. Keeping her left hand invoked in front of her, she held out the other towards the door. 

-Chains of Heaven! she said in a loud voice. 

At her command, golden chains sprang up and surrounded the house, gripping it tightly. Gathering her two hands in front of her, she prepared to launch her invocation when her gaze fell on the window overlooking the living room. Inside, her daughter and the man she loved were eating and laughing. As usual, Mahi was having fun refusing to eat to force her father to play with her to get her to swallow her meal. This little ritual between them was the perfect definition of their intimate relationship. 

A warm tear rolled down the dragonrider's cheek and she felt a sudden pain pierce her heart. She realised that this could be the last time she would see them. But she couldn't give up. She had to do it at all costs to protect them! She alone had to die, that was what she had decided from the start. She had to! She had to stay strong. 

-Summon massive teleportation portal," she said. The golden light began to radiate even more strongly, almost blinding the young woman who struggled to keep her eyes open. Teleportation activated! Destination, Egea, grasslands, Sophianopolis! 

No sooner had she finished her sentence than the light blocked her vision. It took her a few seconds to regain her sight. When her eyes readjusted to the light outside, the house was no longer there. She was alone now and had a heavy task on her shoulders: to stop the massacre of her people. 

----

Niris woke with a start. Breathing heavily, he put his hand on his chest. His bare chest gave him nothing to hold on to and his nails dug into his skin. Trembling, he gasped for a moment before breathing more normally. He looked around him. Nursing angels were sleeping around him, obviously exhausted from their shift. Cables, wires, and syringes were strung all over his body, hampering his movements. 

He tried to speak to attract attention but no coherent words came out of his mouth. He stood there for a few seconds trying to make himself heard, but nobody moved. He reached out to grab the arm of one of the nurses when he lost his balance and found himself half-slumped on the floor. The needles in his skin hurt and he couldn't move his body the way he wanted to. 

Several minutes passed before someone opened the door and feet came running towards him. Suddenly, voices were heard and people rushed around him. Badly awake after the panic that had seized him when he woke up, he remained in a state of half-awakeness for a moment. All around him, he could feel a frenzy of activity among the nursing staff and the curious who had come to enquire about his condition. 

Niris let them. He couldn't hear the words spoken to him very well, but he felt no pain now that he was back on his bed and the needles and wires had been removed. 

After a while, his mind began to clear and he was able to understand the words being said to him. All the activity around him had ceased and he was now alone with Jibaru and the palace's chief physician. A short time later, his father joined him. 

-Niris, you've woken up at last! You scared the life out of us!" said his friend, who had grabbed his wrist, as if to make sure he wouldn't escape. 

-How many...

Niris tried to speak but couldn't finish his sentence. 

-You've been unconscious for at least four days! I thought you weren't going to wake up! 

His friend's face tensed. Although he seemed relieved to see the little prince conscious again, he seemed to be gripped by a worry that he couldn't get out of his mind. Niris wondered what could have happened. He tried to feel all his limbs and to move his fingers and toes at the doctor's request. His father came over and put his hand on his forehead, also looking worried. 

-Everything's fine, Niyari has been subdued, you're safe and sound. The Master of Blades saved your life," said his father with the same anxious look as Jibaru. 

Niris questioned them with his eyes, but they ran away from him at first sight. He could sense that something was going on. He was hiding something from him. 

-What happened? Is everything... okay?" he managed to say, despite the fatigue that was still numbing his limbs. 

The Emperor and his friend exchanged a glance before turning to him. 

-Rest for now, we'll talk later," his father told him with a smile. 

Niris wanted to answer, but he couldn't resist the soothing hand that was placed on his forehead. A wave of warmth swept over him and a languid torpor took hold of his body. Without resisting, he drifted off to sleep once more.