Drachengott Read online

  ‘That’s her missing horn?’ said Elynor.

  ‘Yes, it is,’ said Rutger. ‘I kept it to remember that night when Horst died. It makes a good grip.’ He paused. ‘Theodor, what’s the matter? You look very pale.’

  Nils forced a smile. ‘Just don’t take either of my horns, Dragonsbane,’ he joked.

  That helped to defuse the situation, and thankfully after that they moved on to other things. But it left Nils feeling deeply uneasy. Just what was his mother trying to do? Whose side was she really on? And should he be keeping her identity a secret like this?

  In the end, the only answer he could come up with was that he would have to ask her. Once they found her again he’d ask her in private, and he’d tell her — What would he tell her? To stop lying and tell the others the truth? He doubted she would do that.

  But soon enough there was no time to think about that anymore. After days on the march the mountain was within striking distance, and only one thing lay between themselves and it. A small cluster of buildings, all made of seamless stone, and a group of people — pathetically small beside them — gathering in front of them, ready to fight.

  Nils pulled the Soul Thief out of the belt he’d strapped to his back and shoulder to hold it in place. Beside him, Rutger drew the Magic Taker, and Elynor pulled out the Bond Breaker.

  ‘It’s time,’ Rutger said softly.

  Without a word Spurling leapt into the air. The free dragons massed, ready to attack at the signal.

  Nils felt giddy. ‘Are we really ready for this?’

  ‘Some things you can never be ready for,’ said Rutger. ‘Come on.’ He shot a bolt of blue lightning from his palm into the air, then kicked his deer in the ribs and roared: ‘CHARGE!’

  The deer bolted. Beside him, Nils spurred his own stag into action, and together he, Rutger and Elynor led the charge. The rest of the army followed. Before them the Jüngen — there had to be less than a hundred altogether — joined hands and threw magic at the ground in front of them. A wall of fire in a dozen different colours sprang up. But Rutger flourished the Magic Taker, and the flames pulled up from the ground and flowed toward him, into the tip of the blade. The pommel glowed, and Rutger swung the sword, hurling the fire back at its makers. The main flock of dragons swooped down on the Jüngen from above, and as they attacked, so did Rutger. His deer leapt over the blackened ground where the fire had been, and he threw a blast of powerful wind at the Jüngen nearest to him. They fell down, and before they could recover a gang of Ketzer and Gottlosen were on them.

  A strange sense of unreality came over Nils. His head felt light, even giddy.

  Don’t think. Do.

  He pointed the Soul Thief and channelled his magic through it. Black energy hit a Jünger in the chest, the stone flashed, and the man fell dead. Something struck Nils, something which sent a jolt of pain through him. But before he could react to it, Rutger was there, the Magic Taker sucking the attacker’s power from her body. The woman fell, alive but crippled, and Nils threw a grateful look at his father.

  After that, there was no room to think, or to look at anything but what was most important. All he could do then was fight, and he did.

  Later on the memory of that battle came back to him in flashes, as if he had blacked out for parts of it. Two men — twins by the looks of it — holding hands to combine their magic. Twin icicles shooting toward Nils, their tips razor-sharp. Himself blowing a sheet of red fire which melted the icicles in mid-air, and a moment later the Soul Thief taking both their lives. Rutger, magically grappling with a woman whose magic never seemed to run out; Spurling and another dragon cutting her down. Elynor and Ambrose, back to back, hurling magical attacks at a gang of Jüngen. A group of well-armed Gottlosen taking the advantage and killing several of them with spears. Lilith and Tancred, magicless as they were, fighting with a sword and an axe. And always the dragons there, swooping in with their talons ready to cut into the Jüngen who had used their kind as slaves.

  Not one Jünger surrendered. Not one tried to flee.

  By the time it was over every single one of them lay dead, and a massive silence settled over the battlefield.

  Nils found himself on the ground — he couldn’t quite remember what had happened to his deer. The Soul Thief was still in his hand, and it felt unnaturally warm. Rutger was close by, still mounted. There was blood on his arms, and the side of his neck had a livid red burn on it. He was breathing hard.

  Nils suddenly realised that he was hurt, too. There were cuts on his arms, and another one on his forehead. But other than that he thought he was fine.

  Lilith appeared at his side. ‘Theodor, are you all right?’

  He nodded vaguely. ‘Are you?’

  ‘I think so.’

  Around them the army was swarming through the buildings, searching for any Jüngen who might be hiding. Elynor and Ambrose were nearby, with Haedwig, busy organising their followers. Rutger dismounted and patted his deer on the muzzle, murmuring to it. Spurling was perched on a roof.

  Elynor! he called down to them. Dragonsbane!

  Elynor and Rutger both paused and looked up. ‘What is it?’ Rutger called.

  The dragons, Spurling replied. Look.

  Everyone turned to look. The Drachengott was still above them, and his head was turned toward them, horns curving into the sky. His dragons flew between them and around the mountain — hundreds upon hundreds of them. But they were making no move to attack.

  ‘What are they waiting for?’ Ambrose muttered.

  For us, said Spurling. They wait to defend the Drachengott.

  ‘I don’t like this,’ said Rutger. ‘Elynor, Nils — we have to hurry.’

  At that moment Tancred suddenly appeared, hurrying out of one of the larger buildings. ‘Mama, Papa — you should see this,’ he called. ‘I found the prison.’

  Nils and Rutger both ran to him, with Elynor, Lilith and Ambrose close behind.

  ‘Is anyone in there?’ Rutger asked before they had reached Tancred. ‘Is . . . ?’

  ‘I don’t know what she looks like,’ said Tancred. ‘You should come with me.’

  The prison was a low-ceilinged, thick-walled stone building with a barred front door that had already been magically ripped away. Several other people had gone in ahead of them, down a gloomy corridor. Nils kept close to his father, although Rutger broke into a sprint the moment they were inside.

  They emerged into a large room filled with iron cages. A group of Gottlosen and Ketzer were working together to open them and bring out the prisoners. There were at least two dozen of them, men and women, all weak and shaken. Rutger pushed his way into the middle of the room, frantically searching each face, and Nils searched with him. But there was no sign of Syn, in either shape.

  Rutger didn’t give up. He helped up one man who looked stronger than the others and said; ‘Have you seen a woman in here? Very beautiful, with pale skin and black hair? She would have come here a few days ago.’

  ‘No,’ the man said weakly. ‘There haven’t been any new prisoners here in weeks.’

  ‘Then was anyone taken away?’ Rutger persisted.

  ‘No . . . sir. They were keeping us for the solstice.’

  ‘Well,’ Rutger let him sit down, ‘you’re safe now, all of you. Our people will take you out of here.’

  The prisoner gave him a look of pathetic gratitude. ‘Thank you. Who are you?’

  ‘Rutger Dragonsbane.’

  A hush fell.

  ‘He’s the Dragonsbane?’ a woman said in a low, awed voice. ‘Rutger Dragonsbane is here?’

  ‘Yes, he is,’ Elynor said loudly. ‘And my name is Elynor Überketzer. We’ve come to challenge the Drachengott.’

  ‘We’re going to fight him,’ Nils added. ‘And we’re going to kill him.’

  The mutterings grew louder. Some of the prisoners were looking at them with hatred or fear, but plenty looked at them with awe. Even hope.

  ‘It’s true,’ said Rutger. ‘The Dra
chengott has caused enough suffering. All of us here have vowed to put a stop to that, and today we will.’

  Several people cheered.

  ‘Now, do you know anything?’ asked Rutger, addressing the prisoners. ‘Is there anyone under the mountain now?’

  ‘No, Dragonsbane,’ said a woman. ‘They only go there for initiations or sacrifices. But the dragons will be ready for you.’

  ‘Leave them to me,’ said Elynor.

  ‘Now, we should go,’ said Rutger. ‘We can’t afford to waste any more time.’

  Nils tapped the Soul Thief’s butt on the floor. ‘I’m with you . . . Father.’

  Chapter Thirteen

  They made the final advance together, and on foot. Deer wouldn’t help them now.

  Nils, Elynor and Rutger walked together, side by side, their weapons at the ready. Spurling led the dragons from above. Haedwig and a gang of other Ketzer were with them, close together and ready. Tancred and Lilith came to join them, with their father, but Elynor said; ‘Listen to me, both of you. When the fight with the Drachengott comes, I want you to leave.’

  ‘But Mama—’ Lilith began.

  ‘No, Lily,’ Ambrose interrupted. ‘Neither of you have magic, and you’re too young.’

  ‘He’s young,’ Tancred pointed at Nils. ‘You’re not sending him away.’

  ‘That’s different and you know it,’ said Elynor. ‘This is our fight, and only the three of us have the power to do what must be done. The fight may well kill us, and if it does then I want to die knowing that you two are safe and can live peaceful lives in the new world I helped to create.’

  ‘She’s right,’ said Rutger.

  Tancred flung his arms around his mother’s neck. ‘Don’t die. Please.’

  Elynor hugged him back, and Lilith and Ambrose quickly joined them, the four of them holding each other close.

  ‘I don’t want to die,’ said Elynor. ‘And I don’t plan to. But this is war, and we must be prepared for that. Promise to live for me.’

  ‘I promise,’ said Lilith.

  Nils watched them, and felt a pang at his heart. He thought quickly of trying to hug his father, but something still rebelled.

  Rutger put an arm around his shoulders and gave him a quick squeeze. ‘You have a family, too, Theodor,’ he said in an undertone. ‘Listen: if I die here and you live, then I want you to go back to them. Go to . . . Gothendorf. That’s where I’m from, although I’ve kept it a secret. My family’s there. My brothers, my sister. Can you promise me that you’ll find them and tell them what happened? For me?’

  Nils did not pull away. ‘I will.’

  ‘Tell them I did it all for them,’ said Rutger. ‘And you.’

  ‘I’ll tell them,’ Nils promised.

  ‘And keep your mother safe, if you find her.’

  ‘I’ll try.’ Nils smiled weakly. ‘I don’t think she’d let me, though.’

  ‘Maybe not — I know her too well to think otherwise,’ said Rutger. ‘But try.’

  Nils nodded, and Rutger let him go.

  After that there was nothing more left to be said. They advanced, weapons ready and all their followers with them, ready every moment for the dragons to attack.

  But nothing happened. The dragons stayed where they were, close to their master, and made no move to attack. Spurling and the others kept back, unwilling to go too close to the Drachengott, who sat and stared impassively down at them. Rutger visibly quailed at the sight of him. ‘That’s the Drachengott?’ he said in an undertone.

  ‘Yes, it is,’ Nils answered as quietly. He found the massive dragon less frightening now for some reason, or maybe the sight of his father’s fear had given him courage.

  Elynor was looking up at the Drachengott, too. ‘What are they doing?’ she wondered aloud. ‘Why don’t they attack us?’

  Before anyone could answer her, the Drachengott spoke, his voice shaking the earth beneath their feet. THEN HAVE YOU COME FOR HER?

  Nobody spoke. Everyone there shrank back, and Nils heard a few people behind him scream.

  The Drachengott blinked once, slow as the changing seasons. TAKE HER, THEN, AND BE GONE, he said, and with that he lowered his head onto the ledge where it usually rested, and fell silent.

  ‘Swanhild,’ Rutger rasped. ‘Was he talking about Swanhild?’

  Nils said nothing. He pushed ahead, scalp tingling, the Soul Thief in his hands. The only thing between them and the mountain was the sacred grove where the bodies of the sacrificed hung. Most were rotting badly by now, and their stench burned in his nostrils. His stomach turned.

  But there was one that was still fresh.

  Nils heard his father scream before he had time to react himself. He stood frozen by shock as Rutger roughly shoved him aside and bolted past him to the tree where his mother hung.

  She was human again, hanging by her ankles among the corpses. She was naked, and her exposed skin was covered in deep cuts and ugly bruises. Her long black hair was matted with blood, and more blood dripped slowly from her mouth and nose.

  Rutger swung the Magic Taker with all his might, and with a couple of hard, desperate blows the rope holding her snapped and she fell limply onto the ground. Nils ran over, Elynor close behind, and he heard the Gallien woman swear softly.

  Rutger hacked the ropes away from Syn’s ankles, exposing the ugly welts beneath, and then lifted her into his arms. He was sobbing. ‘Swanhild,’ he said. ‘Oh, Swanhild.’

  Nils crouched beside them, and reached down to touch his mother’s cut face. It had been beaten almost beyond recognition. ‘Mother,’ he whispered.

  Behind him Elynor said, ‘Is she . . . ?’

  Rutger hugged Syn to him, her blood staining his shirt. ‘Swanhild,’ he said again. ‘Please, no . . .’

  She stirred weakly, mouth opening, but when she tried to speak she began to cough instead, bringing up a mouthful of blood.

  Rutger lifted her, tilting her head forward. ‘Swanhild!’

  Syn spat out the blood and then slumped with a faint groan.

  Nils took her by the shoulder. ‘Mother,’ he said. ‘It’s me, N — It’s Theodor. Mother?’

  Syn’s red-brown eyes were dim as she looked up at them. ‘Theodor.’ Her voice was a pained rasp. ‘Rutger, my . . . love.’

  ‘Yes, it’s me,’ Rutger said desperately. ‘I’m here. Elynor’s here, too. You’re safe now, we’ve got you.’

  Syn drew in a slow, pained breath. ‘You should . . . should not have come.’

  ‘I had to,’ said Rutger. ‘For you.’

  ‘I don’t matter,’ she rasped. ‘You do. All . . . all four . . .’

  ‘Hush,’ said Rutger. ‘Don’t talk. Just rest. We can take care of you now.’

  Nils did not let go of Syn’s shoulder. She was so warm beneath his fingers. But of course she would be. After all, she was a dragon. Just like him.

  This could have been me, he thought dully. This would have happened to me if she hadn’t—

  A deep and terrible rage bloomed in his chest. He straightened up and took the Soul Thief in both hands. ‘Let’s kill him,’ he said. ‘Let’s do it now.’

  ‘Yes,’ Elynor said grimly. ‘It’s time.’

  ‘No,’ Syn whispered, but even Rutger didn’t listen. He beckoned Tancred and Lilith over.

  ‘Take care of her,’ he said. ‘We have to finish this.’

  Lilith lifted Syn with her brother’s help. ‘We’ll take her back to the doctors,’ she promised.

  Rutger leaned over and gave Syn a kiss on the forehead. ‘I’ll do it,’ he told her. ‘Just as you saw in your dreams. I’ll finish this — we all will. And then you and I can be together again, the way we were meant to be.’

  Syn said nothing more — most likely she had fainted.

  Rutger drew the Magic Taker. His face was full of fury. ‘You’re right, Theodor,’ he said. ‘Let’s kill him.’

  They pressed on through the trees, to the base of the mountain. The dragons were everywhere, p
erched on the mountainsides or flying above, all looking balefully down at the rebels. They drew up at the mountain’s base, by the entrance to the cave where Nils had been initiated. Rutger held up the Magic Taker, Nils pointed the Soul Thief, and Elynor the Bond Breaker. Ambrose took her free hand, Haedwig took his, and the Ketzer joined together, ready to share their magic, while the Gottlosen stood by to defend them, and the free dragons hovered above.

  ‘Be ready,’ Elynor told them. ‘If Theodor or Rutger need help, then give it to them at once. It will take all of us together.’

  The Drachengott was watching them, head still lowered. He made no move to attack any of them, but his eyes were open and glaring.

  GO, his voice rumbled suddenly. ALL OF YOU. GO NOW. THE TIME IS NOT RIGHT.

  Rutger steadied himself, the Magic Taker still pointed at the Drachengott, and shouted back, his voice pitifully weak by comparison. ‘We’ve come to fight you in the name of the free people of Wendland! So your followers will never slaughter another village of defenceless Gottlosen!’

  ‘We fight you so that mankind may use magic for their own benefit, free from unnatural rules and cruel punishment!’ Elynor shouted.

  We fight for the freedom of the dragons! Spurling roared from above.

  The words came to Nils in a moment, and he shouted them for all he was worth. ‘We fight so that there will be no more lies!’

  A terrible rumbling sound came from the mountain, mixed with a cracking and a grinding like breaking stone. It took Nils a little while to realise that the Drachengott was laughing.

  KILLING? CRUELTY? SLAVERY? LIES? he repeated. YOU BELIEVE MY DEATH WOULD END THOSE THINGS? NO. THEY ARE HUMAN THINGS, AND SHALL BE ALWAYS AND FOREVER. NOW GO, ALL OF YOU, FOR I HAVE NOTHING MORE TO SAY.

  Nils felt himself trembling. His grip on the Soul Thief faltered.

  ‘Now!’ Rutger shouted, and light shot from the Magic Taker’s blade. Nils quickly struck, too, putting all his magic into the Soul Thief. Beside him Elynor attacked, reinforced by Ambrose and the Ketzer. Three beams of light hit the Drachengott in the chest, and three weapons began to glow.

  Nils felt the Soul Taker growing hot again, and the moss green of the Drachengott’s power thrummed in the stone. His ruby quickly began to pulsate in time with it, as he poured his magic out, teeth gritted, putting everything he had into it.