Prince of Dragons

Chapter 39 - Prince of Dragons

A/N: It's taken me a long time, but it's a long chapter. I hope that makes up for the waiting time. Enjoy!

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"Don't you see? People are dying in that cave! We can help prevent more bloodshed, prevent the death of your comrades! Let us help them! Don't just let them die!"

Arwund looked at Maréin from the corner of his eye. He felt sorry for the knight: for minutes the latter had been trying to convince the guards to let them go. At first, his powers had filled his words with authority, but it was as though the poor knight had only drops of his powers left now, and frustration was beginning to fill the holes left by it. Arwund didn't know if knights could run out of their powers, but if they could, then that was happening to Maréin right now.

"Why won't you let us help them?!" Maréin yelled. His powers were gone now; nothing remained but a frustrated and angry man.

The guards seemed to have had enough of Maréin's onslaught of words – or maybe the wanderer's powers had prevented them from acting before. "Speak one more word and we'll cut your throat!" one of them threatened while the head of a halberd hovered dangerously close to Maréin's neck.

Maréin's breathing was heavy; tears seemed to fill his eyes. Vaciana laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay," she whispered. "You've done all you could."

Maréin stared at the ground. The wanderer seemed to be in so much pain and Arwund truly pitied him. He'd more or less accepted the situation as it was so far, thinking that he couldn't do anything to escape the guards, but now he was growing ever more angry. He wanted to get out of here, to be free, and especially to set his friends free. He grabbed his dragon pendant without thinking, finding some mental strength in the familiar object.

He suddenly felt something at the back of his mind. He didn't know what is was, but it felt almost like a pressure. There was energy there, quite a bit of it. But as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished again.

Wainur, Arwund thought, if you're really there somewhere, this would be a great time for some useful advice.

The dead Dragon King, of course, stayed silent. What else were you expecting? Arwund thought to himself.

This was up to him and him alone.

Breathing fire wouldn't work – the guards would kill his friends if he did. But maybe...

"Why in the world are you serving the earl?" Arwund asked.

"He's our lord!" a guard replied stubbornly. The tip of a halberd suddenly appeared close to his throat.

"Wow, what a reason that is!" Arwund exclaimed. "He's your lord! Let me tell you something: I was born in the Northlands, in the earldom of Wetwieg to be precise. Doesn't mean I'm just going to do everything the earl of Wetwieg commands!"

"And you're a criminal!" a guard shouted.

Arwund shrugged. "Is it a crime to think for yourself?"

"Quiet! Or we'll kill you!" a guard threatened.

Arwund chuckled. "Prince Enorwin wouldn't like that. Sorry I have to keep shamelessly taking advantage of that, but it's true."

"Our loyalty is to His Lordship first," a guard objected.

"Oh, you mean the same earl who happens to be prince Enorwin's father?" Arwund said. He laughed. "There's nothing you can do as long as I don't try to escape. Face it: you have no choice but to bear my talking." He paused briefly, then added, "By the way, killing someone for opening their mouth, isn't that a bit... extreme?"