Skwyr Court

Lady Emgard walked into the marketplace, leaning on her staff for support. She kicked up dust as she walked, a refreshing reminder that warm weather had returned. The sun shone happily in the bright blue sky above. The perfect weather for an outdoor market.

With her basket slung over her elbow, she walked among the villagers, keeping her head down, with a little help from an enchantment to hide her identity. She hated it when people recognized her. Then it was always “Can I help you, My Lady?” or “No, please, I can’t take money from you, My Lady.” It didn’t help her mission to help the locals if they kept offering her charity. She neither needed nor wanted it. Just as bad were the people on the opposite end of the spectrum, the ones who overcharged her because they knew she could afford it. Sure, they weren’t giving away their products, but she didn’t want to support them.

She eyed a fresh crop of carrots and thought about bringing some back with her for a stew. Living in the castle rarely gave her a chance to cook for herself, and it’d be a nice change of pace. Cooking had always felt like another form of magic to her. Like magic, cooking took care, attention to detail, and a lot of patience.

“How much?” she asked, motioning to the carrots. She was careful not to draw too much attention to herself, so as not to break her disguise.

The merchant glanced at her, then turned his attention to the carrots.

“Ten copper a piece,” he said.

The price had gone up in a week, but she couldn’t blame him for that. Instead, she took out her small purse, selected a gold piece, and handed it to him.

“I’ll take ten,” she said.

The merchant made no effort to hide his delight.

“Thanks, granny,” he said, accepting the piece of gold.

She arched an eyebrow at him, then turned back to the carrots. Like the crowd around her, the carrots were smaller than usual, which was another concern of hers. She picked ten of them, then moved on through the marketplace.

She glanced up at the sky again, feeling something wrong in the air. Some small feeling that made the hairs on the back of her neck stir. She gripped her staff a little tighter. The sky was almost cheerful.

But around this part of Skwyr, there was an underlying fear creeping around the people. She could feel it lingering among them. Like a shadow falling over them. The crops weren’t doing well; people didn’t even want to go out to a market anymore. They could all sense it, even if they didn’t know it.

She closed her eyes and concentrated. The sounds of the marketplace faded away. She felt herself leaving the ground, giving her a brief moment of vertigo. As old as she was, she’d learned to ignore it, knowing full well she was still on solid earth. The world moved about her, moving energy with it. She sensed the fine threads of magic that bound the world together, looking for anything out of place.

She felt each thread of the marketplace, of the sky. A watcher only, she didn’t dare touch any of them. It was easier to feel the one vibrating out of place.

It was a rhythmic vibration. A bobbing motion, perhaps. Like…

Lady Emgard’s eyes snapped open.

“Wingbeats.”

Her gaze turned to the horizon, and she saw it. Far enough away that no one would’ve seen it yet. From that distance, it could’ve been mistaken for a bird. But even as she looked at it, a sense of dread filled her. That wasn’t a bird.

She closed her eyes again, but instead of sensing the movement of the strands, she followed one straight back to the castle. Leaning her head into her hand, she breathed one word.

“Dragon.”

With open eyes, she lifted her hand up and allowed her message to fly free. A few feathers left her hand, vanishing seconds after they did. She knew her message would make it to the king. It had to.

“That was a neat trick,” one merchant said.

She looked back at him, dispelling her disguise. She waited a moment before realization dawned on his face.

“My… My Lady Arch Mage!” he exclaimed, stammering and bowing at the same time. “I… Please forgive me, I didn’t—”

“You’re forgiven,” she said. “I don’t care what you did, only what you’re about to do. Everyone here may be in grave danger. I need help getting their attention.”

“Not a problem.” The man turned back to his family. “Get everyone’s attention. I don’t know why, but it’s important!”

Two young men and a little girl ran out and started shouting to people.

It wasn’t efficient by any means; most people looked at them as though they were crazy. She didn’t need people to obey, only to listen. She didn’t like raising her voice.

“There’s a dragon on its way,” she said, raising her voice only a little to be heard. She looked up at it again. Sure enough, it was getting closer. She could see its mighty wings carrying across the sky toward the marketplace.

People saw her, then turned their heads toward the dragon. As they did, people whispered and pointed at it.

“Everyone, get off the street. Find shelter in the tents or stands if you must, but stay out of the street.”

“What for?” asked a man.

“Because there’s a good chance that if a dragon sees this many people, it’ll raze the village for fun.”

As people began to panic, more shouted at them to keep calm. Emgard took note of each one. It was always good to know on whom she could rely. She placed her basket on the stand closest to her, then walked to the center of the street, her staff in hand.

The dragon was close enough that she could see its black scales. She took a breath to keep herself calm. With luck, it would pass over them without paying them any mind. With a lot of luck. More luck than she figured she possessed.

It spread its wings and glided lower, intending to land. People around her talked with shaking voices, but others hushed them.

The ground shook as the dragon landed. She’d seen supply caravans smaller than it. It loomed over her, its great maw opening to speak.

“What a surprise,” it said in a tongue few others would understand. “If it isn’t Lady Emgard.”

His voice was deep and smooth. He — she was sure it was male — wasn’t at all afraid of her. She didn’t blame him; she didn’t look that intimidating to anyone other than her apprentices or the castle staff.

“I confess you have me at a disadvantage,” she replied. “You know my name, but I can’t say I know yours.”

He reared back. His head bobbed up and down while he made a coughing noise. No, he wasn’t coughing; he was laughing.

“You sensed me coming. I know you can find my name if you look hard enough.”

That same sense of dread that she’d felt earlier came over her for a moment. Was he doing that? She knew dragons were better with magic than humans, but to do so seamlessly wasn’t something she’d expected.

She didn’t dare close her eyes and leave people defenseless. Instead, she reached out with her mind into the ether once again. A new thread had been created, linking her with this dragon. From that, she sensed his name.

She held her staff tighter. She’d killed dragons before, but until the king arrived with his knights, there was little she could do against this particular dragon.

She knew that now. She’d fought dragons before, but this wasn’t an ordinary dragon.

“I’m flattered that you recognize me,” he said, leaning his head closer. “I thought humans were too ignorant of us dragons to believe I exist.”

While she listened, she drew up battle plans in her head. Killing him wasn’t her concern anymore; saving as many of the people was.

“The king is on his way,” she said, hoping to stall for time. “You might be able to kill me, but you won’t kill him.”

“I have no desire to kill you. That’d only pick a fight with the king, one I cannot win. Not yet.”

Its mouth drew back in what she could only assume was a smile. Whatever it was, it was revolting.

“But do send him my love,” the dragon continued. “Be sure to tell him… and all these people my name. Tell them that the nightmare is real. I’ve come out of the shadows to burn their lives to the ground.”

“The Court of Nelaro wasn’t enough?” she asked.

“Nelaro was only the beginning. I’ve got my eye on Skwyr now. Tell the king that for me, would you?”

Emgard sensed a warm, empowering feeling. She stood on the shoulders of giants, and they weren’t far.

“You’d better run before he arrives. Unless you’d like to tell him yourself.”

He leaned in closer to her.

“Quite like an old woman. Waiting for a younger man to save her.”

She gripped her staff until her knuckles turned white. One way or another, she’d see this lizard’s head roll.

“Now, now. We both know you won’t fight me with these people here.”

“You’d better fly away while you can.”

The dragon stretched his wings.

“Until next time, Lady Emgard.”

He leapt off the ground and soared into the air. Emgard didn’t relax until she’d watched him fly away into that bright blue sky.

“It’s safe,” she said softly. “The king will be here soon.”

People slowly came out of hiding around her in the marketplace.

“Thank you, My Lady,” the merchant near her said. “We’re in your debt.”

She looked at them with a little envy, but smiled all the same. It wouldn’t do to alarm them yet.

As people emerged, she picked up her basket and checked on them. Made sure they were okay. They asked about the dragon, but she didn’t answer their questions. Only told them that the Court would see to it.

They didn’t need to know what she did, what the king would soon know. They didn’t need to know that the boogeyman escaped their nightmares. That evil had crept out of the darkness.

That Valignatiejir had returned to Skwyr.