The Death of Addor 4 (complete)

“You’re here, aren’t you?”

I wake but realize I am still in my dreams. I look around, seeing nothing but a vast desert of white before me. The wind blows gold, and when I look ahead, I see Addor standing before me.

“Dad!” I rush forward, but the winds blow me back. I fall to the ground and look up as Addor remains still. His eyes slowly blink, and his head tilts slightly.

“You shouldn’t have come here, Maeve,” Addor says. “Don’t you understand the danger that you’re in? How foolish are you? I know you are smarter than this.”

“But I had to see you!” I cry to him. “I had to tell you goodbye! I wanted to be with you as you passed.” I want to cry, but my dream won’t let me. “Please, tell me where you are!”

Addor is silent. “I told you, my only wish was for you to stay safe and alive, Maeve. What point is my life if you die here?”

I realize then that the gold that catches the wind is coming from Addor. He’s already starting to die. “You’re the most important person in my life...how can I let you die alone?”

“I am not the most important anymore, Maeve. Please. Realize that now before it’s too late. You can still turn back. You can still go home.”

“No, it’s too late. We’re through the wastes. We’ve lost so many! If I turn back now, it’ll be for nothing! Dad, please understand-”

“Maeve,” he snarls with a serious voice. “I want to see you. Do not think for a second I don’t. But your life means more than the few hours I have left.”

I shake my head in defiance. “I’m going to find you! I’m going to find you!”

I wake with a start, tears flowing down my cheeks. I sit up, wiping my eyes. It’s still dark out, but the sky is turning purple and pink as the sun rises. Odd is standing on the cliffs, looking still and quiet.

I stand up and go beside him. “Are you alright?” 

Odd turns his head slightly. “How am I supposed to go home without him, Maeve?” He asks me. He steps down and looks at me with such sad eyes. “His wife...his daughter-” his voice chokes off. “My brother and my sister are going to kill me. I should’ve-”

    I put my hands on his arms. “I am so sorry. This is my journey, I will take the responsibility of Blink’s death.”

    “No, it’s not,” Odd whispers. “He knew the danger. He took it. I want to blame you, I really do,” he whispers. “But that’s not fair when he took this willingly.”

    I glance aside, seeing Heinrik still asleep. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.” I couldn’t tell Odd now. It would have to wait. Once we were through with this, Heinrik would answer for his crimes.

    “I just want to go home, Maeve,” Odd whimpers. “I don’t want to leave my wife and my kids without answers. I don’t want to leave them at all.”

    “I promise,” I sniffle. “I promise I will get you home myself.”

    Odd chuckles softly and wipes at his eyes. “This is why you’re here, isn’t it?” He asks. “All those things I said...that’s why we’re looking for Addor.”

    I nod.

    Odd smiles. “I get it.”

    As the rest of the crew wakes up, we have a quick meal, and we’re back on our feet again. I keep Odd with me and away from Heinrik. Both Darius and I had agreed that we would keep our eyes on Heinrik and when the time was right, we would confront him. But for now, we had to keep peace in the members we had left, especially if Heinrik had brought his own men with him.

    “I saw Addor last night,” Chiyo tells me.

    “You did?” I gasp as I look up at her.

    She smiles softly. “It was my dreams, but he was really there,” she says. “He yelled at me for bringing you here.” Her smile turns into a grin. “He told me he expected better of me and I was supposed to keep an eye on you.”

    “I saw him too,” I say. “He told me to go back.” I swallow down the painful lump in my throat. “He told me that even if he wanted to see me, I should go home now.”

    “Did you tell him it’s too late?” Chiyo asks.

    “I think he knows,” I murmur. “He’s just worried.” I turn and look at Chi, who has a serious expression on his face. “Did you dream of Addor too?”

    Chi shakes his head slowly. “No. I saw dad.”

    “Your father?” Chiyo asks with a grin. “Do you miss him so much?”

    “It wasn’t a dream,” he says. “Like you said, it was a dream, but he was really there. It was really Dad talking to me.”

    Chiyo smile fades into a stony look. “What did he say?”

    Chi shakes his head. “I’m not supposed to tell you,” he answers. “It’s only for us to understand.”

    “Oh,” Chiyo looks shocked. “No. I...I trust Othet.”

    A dark shadows casts over us, and it’s something I recall from my childhood. Often, Addor and Chiyo went on missions for Demir. Nothing made me happier than when his shadow cast over Bastat. But now, I felt nothing but dread.

    I looked up, seeing a dragon flying overhead.

    “Keep moving,” Heinrik barks.

    “We should take shelter,” Odd says. “Hide under something. If it doesn’t see us the dragon will move on, and we’ll be able to move on.”

    “We have the dragon mage!” Heikrik laughs. “The damn thing probably doesn’t see us all the way up there.”

    “Yes it can,” Chiyo hisses. “Addor could see for miles and through clouds,” she raises her hand into the air. “That dragon is close it’s probably already spotted us. We should run for cover like Odd says.”

    Heinrik turns and looks at me. “Do something.”

    I balk and look up at the sky. “Odd’s the commander, we should do what he says.” 

    Heinrik’s eyes narrow in on me, but we start to hide, seeking cover under rock formations. We hide in the shadows, listening and waiting. The sounds of the dragon’s wings gets closer and closer and finally, it lands. 

    Looking out from my hiding spot, I see it’s massive claws on the ground. It’s covered in black scales, looking very much like a large chunky of onyx dug from the ground. His breath is low and rumbling and his long tail curls around the rocks we had just been standing at. With a simple motion, his tail cracks the rocks and then knocks them over.

    “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” the dragon sings.

    “Oh my gods,” Darius whispers beside me.

    The dragon chuckles. “I saw you walking around,” it says. “Don’t try to play with me.” His tail swings out, destroying rocks again. “I’ve been following you this whole time.”

    “Fuck,” Heinrik growls. “We need to get rid of him.”

    “Be quiet,” Chiyo hisses.

    The dragon turns, swinging his head in our direction. I’ve never seen such a massive creature before. I thought Addor was big, but this one was at least ten feet more. The dragon lowers his head until it is almost on the ground. He sniffs at the earth and then suddenly he goes still.

    “What’s going on?” Heinrik asks.

    “I’ll shoot you if you don’t shut up,” Chiyo growls at him.

    The dragon’s eyes shift in color, going from dark orange to a golden green. He looks up at the sky and then climbs up onto the rocks he landed on. In the next moment, he leaves.

    “What?” Darius wheezes.

    “He just left,” I shake my head. “He just up and left!”

    “It’s a miracle,” Heinrik laughs. “He probably smelled our little dragon mage and turned tail!”

    “Chi,” Chiyo whispers.

    “I’m alright Mom, I’m alright.” Chi grunts and coughs. He wipes at his nose, and I see blood on the back of his paw.

    We sprint from where we were, rushing towards a cave. Inside it is sweltering hot, and once we’re deep inside, we realize why. There’s a river of magma below us, and then all around us, the cavern is filled with nothing but eggs.

    “It’s a hatchery,” Chiyo gasps.

    Darius goes up to one of the eggs and touches it. He jerks back suddenly, and a smile spreads across his face. “Dragons aren’t dying,” he says. “They’ve just not hatched yet!”

    “So the reason dragons have been so absent from the empire is because the new ones just haven’t hatched?” Heinrik scoffs.

    “Legends say that dragons, once they die, leave behind an egg that will birth their replacement,” Darius replies. “All of these-” he motions out at all the eggs. “They’re the dragons who came to Grattertock to die.”

    “And be reborn,” I gasp.

    “This is the discovery of a lifetime!” Darius is near tears. “This is exactly what we came to find!”

    “But where’s Addor?” I ask.

    “There’s an exit,” Heinrik points. “Just over there. Why don’t you go and find your Addor, the rest of us will stay here where it’s safe until you get back.”

    Darius turns to him scowling. “Why so concerned with that now?” He asks. “When just a moment ago you would rather keep moving ahead then seek safety.”

    Odd lifts his head and glances over at Heinrik. “Because it’s beneficial now.”

    “This is what you’ve been looking for too, isn’t it?” Darius asks. “It’s just like Blink said, you’re just like Bethsabe.”

    Odd’s brow furrows, and he turns towards Heinrik. “That’s why you killed him, isn’t it?” He asks. “Because it was you. It wasn’t the worms.” He shakes his head slowly as all the pieces fall together. “You knew Bethsabe,” Odd whispers. “So blink knew you.”

    Heinrik smirks. “You have no proof of this.” He then laughs. “I told you, the worm snagged my belt.” He then waves his arm out at the hatchery. “So what if we found the babies?”

    Suddenly it snaps in my head. The reason his voice sets me on the edge the same way his eyes made Blink anxious. “Reggie,” I say as all the air squeezes from my lungs.

    Heinrik’s eyes narrow. “What’d you say there, dragon mage?”

    I raise my head, staring at him. “Reggie,” I whisper. “You’re the bandit who killed my entire family.” I look at the men standing around him. “Them too.” I’m starting to shake with rage. “It was you!”

    Heinrik just smiles. “I thought we were friends.” He takes an egg from the wall and holds it over the edge. 

    “Let it go!” Chiyo bellows as she readies her bow.

    “I plan on it,” Heinrik laughs. “Once this little egg falls it’ll alert the nannies. I assume that’s what the big fucker outside was.” He tilts his head to the side. “Or, you let us go with it, and you can continue on your way.”

    The egg suddenly flies out of his hand and into my arms. He stares at me, glaring. He then pulls something from inside his coat, a strange metal tube with a handle and trigger. He aims it at me.

    “I was told not to kill you,” he growls. “But I have no qualms hurting you.”

    “That’s a gun,” Darius whispers.

    Heinrik turns and shoots Darius in the leg. Darius screams as he falls to the ground. Heinrik then lifts the gun again and all of us freeze. “It’s my new toy,” he smiles. “Thanks to the Gnolls.”

    “Nadeem would never approve such a thing!” Chiyo shouts.

    “Nadeem?” Heinrik scoffs. “That dumb bastard has no clue as to what’s going on even within his own home.” He aims the gun at me again. “Now you come with us, dragon mage,” he growls. “Like you were supposed to as a little girl.”

    A large rock strikes Heinrik’s wrist and knocks the gun from his hand. Darius is standing on one leg.

    “You shot my fake leg, you moron!” Darius then looks at me. “Maeve! The gun!”

    I rush forward, scrambling to get it before Heinrik rushes at me. I grab it and point it at his head. Heinrik grins at me, pressing his forehead to the barrel. 

    “You don’t even know how to work that thing,” he laughs. “Pull the trigger. I dare you.”

    My hand is shaking, and the gun is clattering loudly. I feel the egg I’m holding shift and bounce. The little one inside is scared. I kick Heinrik hard in the crotch and make my break for it, rushing towards Chiyo and Chi.

    The rest of Heinrik’s men pull out their guns, they have us trapped. Heinrik’s wheezes as he collects himself. Coughing and then spitting on the ground.

    “Kill all of them except the girl,” Heinrik commands. He glares at me. “We need her alive to get out of her, and Lord Rex needs a mate.”

    Chi pulls me tight into his arms, covering me with his body. “I love you,” he says.

    “I love you too!” I cry.

    Suddenly fire fills the cave. Heinrik’s men all scream and gunshots go off. Looking up the black dragon has returned and has come into the cave. We run, heading towards the exit. The dragon’s fire is close behind us. Odd has taken Darius onto his back, and I’m grasping Chi’s hand.

    “Maeve! The egg!” Chiyo gasps.

    “Oh!” I take the egg and set into the wall then take off running again. 

    The black dragon continues to chase after us, screaming and vomiting fire. We run, coming to a cliff and stopping short.

    The black dragon bears down on us, nearing in close and then he’s knocked aside by another dragon.

    “Addor!” I scream.

    Addor stands before us, guarding us from the other dragon. His scales are dark red now, and some of his scales have fallen away.

    “So this is why you reeked of mortals,” the black dragons laughs. “I should have known.”

    “Go back, Ymbir,” Addor wheezes. “The others are getting away.”

    Ymbir snarls. “No.” He turns, dark orange eyes glaring towards Chi. “That one took hold of me!”

    “I want to see him done and away with,” he snarls. “All of them while we’re at it.” Ymbir comes closer to Addor. “Stand aside and finishing dying.”

    “Not while you’re threatening my daughter,” Addor growls.

Ymbir doesn’t say another word, he rushes in, attacking Addor by snapping his jaws around his throat.

“No!” I scream. Chi and Chiyo rush us away from the edge of the cliff. We try to escape the struggle of the two dragons, but we end up getting hit or swatted in one way or another. There is blood all over the ground, and Addor is struggling to keep his strength up.

“This is horrible!” Chiyo whimpers.

Chi steps forward. He raises his hand up, and his eyes go white. I look towards Ymbir, he struggles, shaking his head and screaming. He turns, glaring at Chi.

“Stay away from me!” He roars and rushes forward. “Stay away from me!” He opens his mouth on Chi and freezes. They stand like that, frozen in time. 

“What’s going on?” I whimper. “What’s happening? What are they doing?”

“I don’t know.” Chiyo keeps her arms wrapped around me. “They’re struggling. Ymbir is trying to fight back.”

Ymbir’s jaws close, and he backs away. His eyes are golden green, and he holds that same blank and quiet look that he did before. He backs away, every so often twitching and grunting. He then topples over, going still on the ground.

Chi falls backwards, his nose bleeding again as Chiyo and I catch him.

“Hurry,” Chi coughs, pointing to Addor. “I won’t be able to hold this long.”

I rush forward, going to where Addor is laying on the ground. I kneel down beside him, and he lifts his head enough to look at me. He places his head in my lap, and I hold onto him, pressing my forehead to his scales. We were both crying, so happy to see one another again.

“I’m so happy to see you,” Addor whispers. “You shouldn’t be here, but I just can’t help but be happy to see you.”

“You never gave me a chance-” I sob. “You never let me say anything!”

“I know,” he sighs. “I’m sorry, my little Maeve.”

I hold him and sob, my tears pouring freely from my eyes. “I didn’t want you to be alone! You shouldn’t have to be alone!”

    Addor relaxes and lays his head into my lap. I can feel the heavy weight of it for the first time. Before, when I was little, he would never lay his full weight onto me. But now, he has no choice.

    “You’re so strong, Maeve,” he sighs. “I always knew you were, but seeing you here and now, I realize that I underestimated you.”

    I sniffle and lay my head down on his. “It’s because of you I even realized it. It’s because of everything you did. I never got to tell you that. I never got to tell you how much I loved learning magic. I was always jealous of how close you and Chiyo were, and that was so silly! I know. But when you taught me magic, it made me feel special.”

    “I never knew that,” Addor sighs. “I wish I did. Because I would’ve told you it was silly.”

    I laugh and sob at the same time.

    “Chiyo is my dearest friend,” he whispers. “But you,” he sighs and nuzzles to me, “you were my world, Maeve,” he says. “You made my days bright and my nights warm. You gave me hope in my life again.”

    I sob, and my tears splash down his face. “What am I going to do without you?”

    “You have Chiyo,” he says. “And Othet and Maitri. You have Demir and the royal family. And you have Chi.”

    I sniffle and sob.

    “You love him, you always have. I’ve known that since the day you two first met. I knew then that you two were meant to be,” Addor sighs. “He loves you, but not as much as I do.”

    “Dad,” I sob.

    “I am not worried for you,” Addor whispers. “I was never worried about that. You have so much love around you.”

    “But your my dad,” I sob. “I need you.”

    “And you’ll always have me, little Maeve,” he chuckles quietly. He then closes his eyes. I notice there is gold in the air. It catches the breeze and whips all around. Addor sifts through my fingers, and I watch as he disappears into the air. Embers remain on the ground, glowing brightly even in the light of the sun.

    I hang my head and sob, my tears falling into the ashes that remain. My tears clear the ash, and I see something gold in the black. I reach into the still hot embers, pulling out a golden egg.

    “Addor,” I whisper to it and feel the little one kick inside. I turn, looking back at Chi, Darius, Odd, and Chiyo. I stand up and walk to them, stepping into Chi’s arms.

    Ymbir starts to stir and growl.

    “We need to go,” Chiyo urges me. I nod, keeping my arms tight around the egg.

    We make our way down a craggy path, cutting through the mountains. Behind us, we hear Ymbir scream and roar. As night settles, we come to rest in a cave.

    “What do we do?” Odd whispers. “If Heinrik makes it back to the boat, we’ll have no way home.”

    “We’ll find the exit. Then we’ll go from there,” Chiyo sighs.

    I hold the egg in my lap, just staring at it.

    Chi puts his arm around me. “How do you feel?” He asks.

    “Tired,” I whisper. “I’m not sure beyond that.”

    Darius sighs. “We still haven’t even seen the everfire. Who knows if we’ll even be able to cross it as we are.”

    As the sun sets and the cave goes dark, we’re trapped in total black. Then, the cave lights up again. Starting towards the end, a white glow grows forward. It then comes towards, nearly blinding us.

    “What is this?” Chi gasps.

    “The everfire.” I stand up and hold my hands out. The everfire dances in my palms, small objects that flickered like candle flames. They whispered to me with small, sweet voices.

    “They’re talking to me,” I say with a smile. “They said they’ll keep us safe.”

    “They?” Darius asks.

    I look all around. “The everfire. Heinrik was right about one thing, it’s alive.” I grin brightly. 

    The everfires lead us down into the cave. We go down, down, down, and then we step out into the light of the moon. The everfires dance around us, lighting the area and showing us that we were standing in the center of one of the whirlpools.

    The everfire then moved through each of the whirlpools, bringing them closer and closer together until they revealed a path towards the mainland.

    “So that wasn’t the path before?” Darius balks. “It was just dumb luck?”

    “No wonder the dragons never had to worry about the other side, the everfire had it hidden in broad daylight,” Odd marvels.

    The everfire whispers in my ear and I raise my staff. Everfire swirls around it, making it glow as they form a around it. I walk forward, stepping between the walls of water. I then turn back, looking up at Grattertock.

    The path takes us to Afan, the kingdom of Kobolds, which only makes Darius continue to spew with how the Kobolds are descendants of the first dragons and humans. We’re taken to the palace, where Darius’ wife, Dinihari, is Queen.

    We stay there as we heal and recover from our arduous journey, under the best care that the Kobolds can provide with their medical skill and knowledge.

    “We will have to on our guard,” Chiyo says on our first evening.

    Chi and I look at her. “Mom, what do you mean?” Chi asks.

    “Heinrik, or whoever he is, saw your powers, Chi,” she replies. “He knows you have the same power as Bithus. I have no doubt in my mind that he was looking for dragons while we were there, for weapons really.” She frowns down at the ground. “Blink was right, he’s like Bethsabe.”

    “Or working for someone like Bethsabe,” Odd murmurs. He sits up and sighs. “Heinrik and his men, they were working for someone. Someone on par with Bethsabe, perhaps even worse. What with their guns and the way Heinrik talked about the creatures we encountered. He’s taking back everything he learned to this new Bethsabe.” He then closes his eyes as tears start to fall.

    “I swear,” Odd snarls. “I’m going to kill him.”

    “Odd,” Chiyo growls warningly.

    Odd is glaring into the distance. “I’m going to see my family, I’m going to take care of Blink’s family, and once I’m ready, I’m going to hunt down that bastard and kill him just like he killed my brother.”

    “Revenge won’t help you,” Chiyo murmurs. “But I am the last to talk of it.”

    One evening, Chi and I are alone. It’s quiet, and when he kisses me, I know in my heart all that I want. We lay down, slowly touching one another until the heat becomes too much for either of us.

    We make love, slowly enjoying one another as we become one. I feel his power, his strength, everything he hid under his gentle touch and affection. I pressed into him, wanting to feel more and give him everything. He gives me everything in return as he spills his seed inside me.

    Come morning all we can do is giggle and kiss.

    Odd leaves, going home to his family and to break the news to Blink’s wife and children. I don’t know how he can leave with a smile, perhaps he has more strength than I ever did. 

    Dinihari gave me an incubator for Addor’s egg. It was a strange contraption they used for premature children, something she said she built after the birth of her first child.

    “A watched pot never boils,” Chi tells me.

    I look up from the glow of the incubator as Chi walks into the room, carrying a cup of tea for each of us.

    I take one and kiss him. “It was something the everfire told me,” I say. “Or well, they keep telling me.”

    “You can still hear them?” Chi asks.

    I looked over at my staff. “Some stayed with me,” I reply.

    “Then what are they telling you?” Chi sits down beside me.

    “Soon.” I lean into his side. 

    Chi puts his arm around me and kisses the top of my head. “Wouldn’t you rather Addor hatch back home in Bastat?”

    “I do,” I murmur. “I just feel guilty asking us to go again so soon,” I sigh. “Everything we went through, it was all so hard.”

    “Mom and I want to go home, we just wanted to make sure you did too,” Chi brushes my hair from my face. “Let’s go home, Maeve.”

    I take a deep breath and nod. “I want to.”

    We travel home the next day, making our way back to Bastat in the cool of the evening. I move into Chi’s home, a bit afraid to return to the cave. 

    One evening, I wake to a strange sound. I see Addor’s egg is slightly glowing and the everfire is whispering to me. I stand over the egg, watching as the shell shatters and a small baby dragon starts chirping and crying.

    I take it into my arms, holding the small golden thing. It nuzzles to my neck and cheek, curling up against my warm chest. I know that the baby isn’t Addor anymore, he’s someone new, someone else. But he is Addor, and I love him instantly. 

    There is an island north of Culuweth which was, for the most part, an island of criminals and slaves that had been forced into labor during Bethsabe’s reign. In recent years, it has changed. It has been taken over by a powerful Blood Mage, whom I now work for.

    Going by Heinrik, I was merely a, but my reality is much more than that. I was a king once, but my throne and my crown were taken by Demir. My bride, Dali, was stolen from me, and everything I have ever had was ripped from my hands. My kingdom of Veleryn is now the capital of that monsters ideal of unity and peace. All it is the bloated and festering corpse of what had once been a genuinely great empire. 

    “Reginald, you’re finally home,” a cool, dark voice beckons to me. “I do so hope you bring good news with you as well.”

    I bow down, getting on one knee and lowering my head. “I do have much to tell you, Lord Rex,” I reply. 

    The man who stands above me is dressed in dark robes. They drape along the floor with slits cut into them that reveal his blood red scales. He is something between lizardfolk and Kobold. He’s taller than both, more primal in appearance. He looks like the leader this empire truly deserves over that pompous Demir.

    “Rise, my dear friend,” he says, extending his three-pronged hand. “Tell me everything.” He walks over, opening up a chest where there are decanters and glasses. He opens one, pouring a dark liquid into a chalice.

    I sit down, looking around the dark room. All the curtains are closed, and candles drip wax onto the stone floor. Lord Rex then brings me a glass and takes a seat.

    “You were correct about the girl,” I tell him. 

    “The Dragon Mage?” Lord Rex asks with a smile. “I’m glad to hear that.”

    “Her powers are great, but she is still young. She has much she needs to learn in order to hone her skills.” I then gasp. “That reminds me.” I stand and go over to the table and pick up the box there. “I brought you a present.”

    Lord Rex takes the box and opens it. He smiles at the gift inside. He takes out the ruby red dragon egg I had taken for him. “I have so been wanting a pet, this is far too kind. Reginald.”

    I smile and retake my seat. “I thought you might like it. But there are so many other pets on Grattertock, Lord Rex. More destructive and powerful than you could imagine.”

    “If only I could control them,” Lord Rex chuckles as he strokes the egg.

    I then grin. “About that, my lord,” I lean forward. “I’ve found someone who can.”