S.A.S. - Book one: Secrets (Rewriting)

Chapter Nine: Troublesome Encounter

"Glide with me" he said softly. Fully extending their wings, they glided across the black night, above the ruins of the castle. "You've done it. You've freed your kingdom from the grasp of Kareem and the Council." Red nodded, but said nothing.

"What is troubling you, my friend?" Arthur asked.

Red looked at the old, noble dragon. He was looking straight ahead, but Red could tell he was listening intently. "It's just... when someone is killed... all of their magical doings will be undone... and Kareem's doings haven't been undone." Red looked down at where the village should have been.

Arthur chuckled. "Well, there is something else on your mind, but if you won't tell, I won't press it any further." Red looked at Arthur. He knew.

Looking back down on the ground, he sighed. "You're right. I am holding back." Turning to look at Arthur, he continued. "If I die, Flame will die. I used magic to revive her. I don't want her to die with me."

Arthur looked back at Red. Compassion filled his eyes. "If you care that much about her, then there is something I can do..."

Startled, Red almost fell out of the sky. "What?!"

Arthur - flapping his wings slightly - told him, "Dragons can give blessings. It has been a while since I have given one, but even through death, I can make it so your magic is never undone. Flame will still grow old, but she won't die unless it is of natural causes."

Red's eyes widened. "How? How do you do it?" he asked.

Arthur laughed lightly. "The blessing only works for those whose intentions for it are pure. Is there any other reason you might want to have this blessing other than what you've told me?"

Red stared ahead and thought. Why else would he want this blessing? Suddenly, it clicked. "I want to be remembered" he said. "I want the things I do to last. I don't want to build up a kingdom and have it fall when I die."

Arthur nodded. "I see. Very well."

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When Red landed back at where the refugees - his people - were gathered, Flame was waiting for him.

"Where'd you go? You kind of just flew up and left." she said.

"Arthur wanted to fly with me" he told her. Quickly, he pulled her aside. "Do you know anything about magic?"

Flame stared at him. "Um, a little bit, but not really." Red looked back at where he had said goodbye to Arthur.

"When someone dies, their magic dies too. Anything they did with magic is reset" he explained. As she listened, her eyes widened, and she looked at where the village was supposed to be.

"So, when you killed Kareem, then it should have brought back the village." Flame turned to where Fern was standing with Jack and Silver. "We need to tell them!" Running after her, Red got to where the three were standing just as Flame did.

"The village. It's still gone!" Flame breathed. Fern glanced at her, confused, but said nothing. Catching her breath she said, "Red just told me. When someone is killed, all their magic is undone. Kareem died, but the village is still gone!"

Jack stopped tinkering with the device he was holding. It was full gears and gizmos. "Well then he must not be truly gone then!"

Red nodded, but then said, "That's one possibility. That figure said something about having more shadows. I think that Kareem was one such shadow. And Arthur said that Kareem was already dead."

Fern stopped him. "Where exactly are you going with this?"

"Well, I think that - that creature is the one who took our village" Red exclaimed.