A Memory of Fire (The Dragon War, Book 3) by Daniel Arenson Page A
Authors: Daniel Arenson
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man with the sword asks the questions.
The man beaten and tied answers. So tell me. We have hidden here
for years. How did you find us, and how many will follow you?"
The man spat, nearly hitting
Sila's boot. "You hide here from Frey Cadigus. So do we."
Sila blew out his breath and
shook his head. "Of course you would claim that. Yet how can I
believe you? You perhaps convinced my daughter, but she is young and
naive. I've seen too many of your kind. I know your evil,
weredragon."
For the first time, the young
woman spoke up, straining against her ropes.
"You
will not call him that word!" she said and bared her teeth.
"You will not use that... slur. He is Vir
Requis .
He is the son of a noble, proud race fallen into darkness, and he
fights to restore its light. You speak to Lord Valien Eleison,
leader of the Resistance. For twenty years, he's been fighting Frey
Cadigus, the man you fled. Show him respect."
Sila turned back toward her.
"So quick to change flags, are we? I know you lie. I know you
scout these islands for Frey Cadigus, your lord. Are Frey's soldiers
so cowardly that a few bruises and a rope make them turncoats?"
She fixed him with a steady,
haunted stare. "Yes, I am a turncoat. I turned against Frey
Cadigus. But not because of your bruises or your ropes. I rebelled
against him three years ago, and I've been fighting him since. I hid
from him in mud and ruin. I flew through fire and rain to charge
against his lines. I crawled through darkness, and I killed, and I
watched my comrades die. And I still fight him. Until my last
breath." Her eyes bored into him. "Frey destroyed Tiranor
and he destroyed Requiem too. He burned your land; he cloaked ours
in darkness. I hate him more than fire hates the rain."
For a moment Sila could say
nothing, only stare into the woman's eyes. He had commanded merchant
ships through storms. He had commanded ships in battle. He had led
men from fire into light. He could read eyes like other men read
books, and he could spot a lie like a hound spotting a hare. There
was no deception in this woman's eyes. She either spoke truth, or
Vir Requis could tell lies like the greatest actors.
He turned back toward the
haggard man, this Valien Eleison. "How many do you lead? My
father spoke of seeing hundreds of you upon your island. Why are you
there? Do you plan an attack against us?"
"We plan an attack against
Requiem," Valien growled, and again Sila was taken aback by the
sound. The man's voice was little more than a hiss like leather
dragged over stone. "We lost a battle upon Requiem's southern
coast. We fled to these isles to regroup. We will fight again. You
are not our enemy, Tiran. We share an enemy. I lead three thousand
fighters, all sworn to slay the emperor. Free me... and join us."
Sila barked a laugh. "Even
if I did believe you were a rebel Vir Requis, now you truly speak
madness. We are no army here, Valien Eleison. We fled war. We
built a new life here. We are people of peace now."
"Is that why I hear
gunfire?" Valien grumbled. "Is that why your men carry
hand cannons and grapples? Those are tools for slaying dragons."
"Aye." Sila nodded.
"For slaying dragons who would attack our shores."
"And yet you did not slay
me and Kaelyn. You hear me speak and doubt seeps through you. Deep
inside, you believe me, Sila of Tiranor. Because I am like you, and
you see it."
It was Sila's turn to growl.
His fist clenched around his hilt, and he drew a foot of steel.
"We are nothing alike,
weredragon," he said, and his voice shook. "I know your
kind. I saw thousands of you swoop and burn my home. I saw—"
"You saw the soldiers of
Frey Cadigus," Valien interrupted. "You saw dragons in
armor, their helms displaying the red spiral. You saw men march in
black steel, the sigil of Frey upon their breasts. You did not see
me. You did not see the Resistance. And yes, Sila of Tiranor, we
are alike. We both lead men. We both carry the scars of war; I see
them in your eyes." His mouth
The man beaten and tied answers. So tell me. We have hidden here
for years. How did you find us, and how many will follow you?"
The man spat, nearly hitting
Sila's boot. "You hide here from Frey Cadigus. So do we."
Sila blew out his breath and
shook his head. "Of course you would claim that. Yet how can I
believe you? You perhaps convinced my daughter, but she is young and
naive. I've seen too many of your kind. I know your evil,
weredragon."
For the first time, the young
woman spoke up, straining against her ropes.
"You
will not call him that word!" she said and bared her teeth.
"You will not use that... slur. He is Vir
Requis .
He is the son of a noble, proud race fallen into darkness, and he
fights to restore its light. You speak to Lord Valien Eleison,
leader of the Resistance. For twenty years, he's been fighting Frey
Cadigus, the man you fled. Show him respect."
Sila turned back toward her.
"So quick to change flags, are we? I know you lie. I know you
scout these islands for Frey Cadigus, your lord. Are Frey's soldiers
so cowardly that a few bruises and a rope make them turncoats?"
She fixed him with a steady,
haunted stare. "Yes, I am a turncoat. I turned against Frey
Cadigus. But not because of your bruises or your ropes. I rebelled
against him three years ago, and I've been fighting him since. I hid
from him in mud and ruin. I flew through fire and rain to charge
against his lines. I crawled through darkness, and I killed, and I
watched my comrades die. And I still fight him. Until my last
breath." Her eyes bored into him. "Frey destroyed Tiranor
and he destroyed Requiem too. He burned your land; he cloaked ours
in darkness. I hate him more than fire hates the rain."
For a moment Sila could say
nothing, only stare into the woman's eyes. He had commanded merchant
ships through storms. He had commanded ships in battle. He had led
men from fire into light. He could read eyes like other men read
books, and he could spot a lie like a hound spotting a hare. There
was no deception in this woman's eyes. She either spoke truth, or
Vir Requis could tell lies like the greatest actors.
He turned back toward the
haggard man, this Valien Eleison. "How many do you lead? My
father spoke of seeing hundreds of you upon your island. Why are you
there? Do you plan an attack against us?"
"We plan an attack against
Requiem," Valien growled, and again Sila was taken aback by the
sound. The man's voice was little more than a hiss like leather
dragged over stone. "We lost a battle upon Requiem's southern
coast. We fled to these isles to regroup. We will fight again. You
are not our enemy, Tiran. We share an enemy. I lead three thousand
fighters, all sworn to slay the emperor. Free me... and join us."
Sila barked a laugh. "Even
if I did believe you were a rebel Vir Requis, now you truly speak
madness. We are no army here, Valien Eleison. We fled war. We
built a new life here. We are people of peace now."
"Is that why I hear
gunfire?" Valien grumbled. "Is that why your men carry
hand cannons and grapples? Those are tools for slaying dragons."
"Aye." Sila nodded.
"For slaying dragons who would attack our shores."
"And yet you did not slay
me and Kaelyn. You hear me speak and doubt seeps through you. Deep
inside, you believe me, Sila of Tiranor. Because I am like you, and
you see it."
It was Sila's turn to growl.
His fist clenched around his hilt, and he drew a foot of steel.
"We are nothing alike,
weredragon," he said, and his voice shook. "I know your
kind. I saw thousands of you swoop and burn my home. I saw—"
"You saw the soldiers of
Frey Cadigus," Valien interrupted. "You saw dragons in
armor, their helms displaying the red spiral. You saw men march in
black steel, the sigil of Frey upon their breasts. You did not see
me. You did not see the Resistance. And yes, Sila of Tiranor, we
are alike. We both lead men. We both carry the scars of war; I see
them in your eyes." His mouth
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