Embers at Galdrilene (39 page)

V
addoc took in the shops, homes and people of Galdrilene as he walked the wide streets. A Guardian of Galdrilene. That was what Emallya had called him. He wanted to know what he guarded.

He was no longer a Border Guard; his Watch ended the night he left his home. What could he do for the people of Shadereen, with Namir at his side as a grown dragon? How many Kojen could they stop? With a touch of sadness, Vaddoc knew their help wouldn’t likely be welcomed. No matter how many lives he and Namir might save.

Vaddoc wished he could dismiss his old duties as easily as Mckale. But then, it seemed his ties to the Watch were cut the minute he met Maleena. Things more powerful than duty pulled at the other borderman.

A hollow ache filled his chest. The people of Shadereen, his people, had sentenced him to death. They would turn their backs on him. He owed them nothing. Why couldn’t he severe the lingering loyalty he felt toward them? His old life was over. Like Mckale, he needed to move forward. Vaddoc took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh.

A sense of betrayal burned in his breast. Magic didn’t drive people insane. Those who used it weren’t a danger to anyone. The leaders of Shadereen had arrested his entire unit, ready to find and kill him for antiquated beliefs born out of the ashes of a war that ended five hundred years before.

Vaddoc glanced up at the shops as he passed them. Printed words adorned every sign. The people here were educated. Emallya had said they were, but until now he didn’t quite believe it.

Why did other nations smother learning? Emallya must be right. They kept their populations ignorant to better control them. Emallya had said something about the rights of the people under Dragon Law. What was Dragon Law? Did that have something to do with the stories and laws against magic use? Resentment welled up in him. So many people unjustly put to death for no reason.

If magic could be used openly, then maybe the Kojen that attacked that day in Basc wouldn’t have made it as far into the town as they had. Maybe Lenyi would still be alive. How many had died along the border because those that could’ve protected them had been put to death?

Anger at the lies and injustice ran hot in his veins. He walked blindly, his eyes no longer seeing the peaceful and industrious city around him.

Namir’s voice, soothing and concerned, filled his mind, 
“Are you alright Vaddoc? I can feel your distress. Do you need me? I will come.”

“No!”
 Vaddoc’s stomach lurched at the thought of the young draclet with his soft scales leaving the protection of the hold. 
“It is not safe for you to leave the hold until your scales have hardened.”

“Do you really think that anyone in the city would harm me?”

“No, I do not. But I am still unwilling to take the chance. Besides, there is nothing for you to protect me from unless you can protect me from my own thoughts,”
 he sent back.

“Your thoughts are valid. You have a right to be angry at the injustices in your old home,”
 the young dragon replied.

“You are awful wise for such a young dragon.”

“I have the benefit of imprint memories and they say you are right to feel the way you do. Once Dragon Law rules the land once more, one man will not be able to squash another.”

“How do you know about the laws and circumstances that exist now? How can those be in your memories?”
 Vaddoc asked.

“They are not in my memories, they are in yours. Our minds are one. We are one. I know what you know, and if you wish to search, you can know what I know. We are one.”

He smiled, grateful Namir chose him. 
“I can tell you are worried because Mernoth is waiting for your mind to come back to him. Go learn what you need to learn. I will be fine.”

“Yes Mernoth waits for me, but I will not leave while you need me.”

“I am fine now, Namir. You have helped me immensely and I thank you.”

“If you are sure…”

“I am sure. Go learn to be a dragon.”

Namir broke contact. Vaddoc realized he hadn’t paid attention to where he was going while talking to Namir. Surprised at how far he’d walked during the short conversation, he stopped to look around. He stood directly in front of one of the soaring towers on the extra wide road along the inside of the city wall. On the path leading to the large wooden door at its base stood a Shaderian, in white robes trimmed with gold fabric.

Vaddoc recognized him. Sketches of this man were in every barrack hall in Shadereen. Hadar Talor. He’d walked away from his post one night twenty years ago. Like every Border Guard, Vaddoc learned about Hadar and the others on the Wall of Traitors the first day he entered training in Marden.

“Welcome, Di’shan Vaddoc. I knew you would eventually find your way to the Tower of Light. I am Mage Councilor–”

“I know who you are.” Vaddoc ran his eyes over Hadar’s face, seeing the lines gathered at the corners of his golden eyes. “You are older now, but I know your face. You are Hadar Talor, the traitor who abandoned his Watch.”

“As you will now be labeled in Shadereen, young Vaddoc. Like you, I was unwilling to die for the crime of using magic.”

Vaddoc flinched. Hearing another Shaderian call him a traitor felt like a knife in his gut. He was a traitor. Just like Hadar. He could use magic, just like…he frowned at the older man. “But you were never accused of magic use. It was never mentioned when they told of your crime.”

Hadar smiled. “I left before there were any witnesses to it. At the time, I thought myself a coward and for leaving and hated myself for it. Then in Markene, I crossed the path of the Mage Councilor of the Tower of Earth. She knew me for what I was. A senior mage can always sense another mage, even a budding one. It was not my destiny to hatch a dragon egg.” He spread his hands. “I never heard the song. But within a few days of arriving here, I knew the laws and tales against magic were lies and my destiny was not to die for those lies.”

He folded his hands together and took a step toward Vaddoc. “I no longer feel shame and no longer hate myself. I only hate that so many continue to be in danger and so many continue to die because of the lies. Senior mages take turns quietly and unobtrusively traveling among the nations downland, searching for budding mages. Those already experiencing the first flows of power and those balanced on the threshold. Even with that, we save so few.” He shook his head, sadness shadowing his face. “So many turn themselves in or are caught and executed before we can reach them.”

Vaddoc frowned. “How are there so many? I knew of only one person to be convicted of magic use. Other than myself, of course.”

Hadar nodded slightly. “Quite understandable. Some years there are none. Other years there are as many as ten, scattered across the nations. Of those ten, we save only one or two. We cannot send out too many mages for fear of drawing attention. Many times we hear a rumor of magic use, but we are unable to move fast enough.”

Vaddoc still couldn’t quite believe it. “Why does no one hear of them?”

Hadar sighed. “Many take their own lives without telling anyone of what they can do. They do not want their own family to bear the stain. The mage finds the family mourning and feels the echo of magic use in the dwelling.”

Vaddoc stood silent for a moment, allowing himself time to take in what the Mage Councilor said. The very presence of the man who stood before him only confirmed what he’d been thinking. If the lies had not been made law, this man wouldn’t be branded a traitor. He wouldn’t have had to abandon his Watch. His family wouldn’t be shamed. He would be able to see them, not be isolated from everyone and everything that mattered to him at one time in his life.

Namir’s voice whispered in his mind, a feather light touch that faded as soon as the words were said. 
“Together we will change it.”

Hadar turned toward the tower. “You want to change it; I can see it in your eyes. But first you must learn to use and control your magic. Even if you were fully trained you could not run out and take on the world, Namir has to grow and train. You have time; use it to learn so you are ready when the time comes.”

Vaddoc stepped beside the man, his eyes on the tower. “You are no traitor. Those that would have you killed are the traitors. Take me to your tower and teach me what I need to know.”

Hadar looked at him, his golden eyes sharp. “Your first lesson, do not be so quick to judge. The first people to create the laws–the blood is on their hands. The people now–they do what they sincerely think is right. It is a difficult mindset to overcome.”

K
ellinar’s bare feet gripped the wet planks of the deck as he stood on the heaving ship. The wind plastered his soaked clothes and hair to his skin.

“Take care,” Dhovara said from where she stood next to him, raising her voice to be heard over the storm. “The energy you hold back in the storm now will release later. You don’t want to bind it up so much it releases uncontrolled fury on some unfortunate town somewhere to the southeast.”