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  Who were they, then, this diverse and fascinating band? And what were they doing here, standing before the Empress’ throne?

  “People of the Empire, I present to you the Champions of Izmer. From this day forward, they will each and all be known as Defenders of the Throne and Champions of the People, for the deeds they have done have truly earned the gratitude of us all.”

  The Empress paused, then raised her royal scepter high above her head. The crowd drew in a collective breath.

  “I have waited long for such a day as this. Now that day is here, and I do declare that from this moment forward, each of you is equal in rights to the other, that each shall have the chance to rise to their talents, to the true and honest strength of head and heart, noble and commoner alike.”

  Once more, Savina hesitated, and let her gaze touch one and all.

  “I, your Empress, shall be the first to abide by this declaration, for I relinquish, at my pleasure, as my heartfelt wish, this scepter, this symbol of a power I have no desire to use. If I am indeed fit to rule, then I shall rule gladly through the will of my people and not by the ruinous magic that resides in this!”

  With that, the Empress brought her hand down with the strength, the courage, and the will that would symbolize her reign for many years to come. The rod that could bring the wrath of dragons shattered into a thousand pieces on the hard stone floor beneath her feet.

  CHAPTER

  43

  There were few people left in the Great Hall. The Empress and her court were long gone, and most of the many invited guests. Elwood and Norda had left, with Norda’s solemn promise that she would buy the dwarf a mug of ale, or possibly two.

  Now why would she do that, Marina wondered, when she really cared little for dwarves, and never, ever consumed wine or beer or ale?

  Marina, as well as Ridley, was quite aware—though neither would admit it to the other—that they had found some reason to linger until the others had gone. For some time, they hardly spoke at all, but only stood and watched the evening begin to dim the sky beyond the empty throne.

  “You and I need to talk, I feel,” Marina said, finally breaking the silence. “I think we have… things that we should say.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes, I truly do.”

  “I think so as well.”

  “Really?” Marina looked up, and saw he was closer than she’d thought.

  “Does that surprise you, then, to know that I would have such thoughts as well?”

  “Not—truly so, no. It does not.” Marina met his eyes, and gently touched a gold button on his chest. “That is a really fine-looking coat. It fits you quite well.”

  “Thank you. I, uh, feel that your clothing is most attractive, too.”

  “I don’t usually dress up in such finery as this.”

  “I never do. Not until now. And never dreamed I would.”

  “This is a very special day.”

  “It is. In many ways.”

  “What sort of ways, Ridley? I’d like to know just what you mean.”

  Ridley reached out and gently took her hands. His heart beat loudly against his chest, for she made no effort to get away.

  “I’m a commoner, Marina. I have done very little in my life except steal. I’d be willing, though, to try some other trade or craft. I never thought I’d say that, but I will.”

  “I think there are a number of things you could do quite well.”

  “Perhaps. Though I wonder what they’d be. I suppose I could—By the way, I want to thank you for what the Empress said about my mother and father. I know that came from you.”

  “Well, I thought it was certainly proper that they both be recognized.”

  “One thing I could do,” Ridley said, “and I think I might do it well, is follow in my father’s footsteps. I have some ideas for things that have never been seen before, things such as flying machines, craft that would float upon the air—”

  “Ridley…” Marina touched a finger to his lips and came gently into his arms. “We can talk about your career at some later time. I really don’t think that time is now.”

  “You have a very good point,” Ridley agreed, drawing in the flowery scent of her hair, praying that his knees wouldn’t suddenly give way. “A excellent point indeed.”

  He held her there, awed that such a thing could truly be, that all the things that had happened so quickly could be real, and most especially this.

  As he held her, as he dreamed of tomorrows he’d never dreamed before, a shadow fell across the evening, blocking out the light from the balcony door. Ridley drew in a breath and held it, staring past Marinas shoulder, scarcely able to believe what was revealed.

  The gold dragon flapped her great wings then gripped the stone rail in her strong and massive claws. Ridley knew at once it was the Empress’ royal steed, for it wore Savina’s banner in its fine array of dragon horns.

  He knew, though, there was much more to this moment, more than simply a dragon and a man, for the dragon looked at him with her strange and alien eyes, and the thought came to Ridley’s mind unbidden, as clear as if the creature had whispered in his ear….

  / know you, human. You and I have looked upon one another before.

  “And I know you. I know you as well!”

  As he spoke the words aloud, Ridley felt a great and wondrous joy in his heart, for there was no anger in the creature’s thoughts, only a moment shared, only two beings met for an instant again.

  Marina drew away and gave him a questioning look. “What’s this now, talking to yourself? There is much I need to learn about you.”

  “Me? Talking to myself? Why, how could you imagine such a thing?”

  He took her in his arms and held her there as the evening closed in, and there was nothing past the balcony now, nothing there at all.

  CHAPTER

  44

  In the gray morning light, he alone stood in the silent grove, yet not truly alone at all, for he felt at that moment that his friend was truly there, not beneath the earth, cold beneath a plain stone marker he had placed upon the grave, but there in another way that he could neither fathom nor explain. No more than he could explain the wonder that had passed between himself and the golden dragon. That was real, too, he believed. A different kind of real, but real all the same.

  “It’s not going to be the same, Snails, not without you. You’re a part of my life that’s gone forever, but it’s a part I’ll always treasure, something I won’t forget.

  “You made a lot of difference in the way things worked out here. I never thought you and I would do something like that, but there’s no denying it. We did.

  “I wish you could see this real nice jacket I got. It’s better than anything we ever stole, but you’d like it just the same.

  “Well, I guess I’d better get going, or I’ll miss my own knighting ceremony. ‘Ridley the Savior.’ Can you believe that? Don’t laugh. Wherever you are.”

  Ridley paused, trying to think of something more. He wished he could talk to someone like Norda’s friend Hallvarth again. The healer always had the right words to say.

  Don’t mourn for your friend, boy. Friends leave us for a while, but they always come back in another guise when we need them again.

  Ridley liked the thought and was greatly surprised that such wise words would come from him. Truly, it was exactly what Snails would likely do: Show up when least expected, looking for someone to pay for lunch.

  THE END

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