~22~

Everyday's walk always ended with a sign from Jose. Everyday ended with hope and dread warring within me as I didn't have a clue how she was fairing. I knew she told of Thelia, but never herself. Never of the fear she must be feeling. It hurt. My dragon was as restless as I was, needing to find her and save her.

One night, however, about a week's travel away from her supposed destination, her sign changed. It was one word. A word I didn't know or recognize: Atuss.

Not only was it unknown to me, but it was in plain sight, for all to see.

When I told the others, Otreg looked intrigued. "It's my nephew."

I blinked.

"You have a nephew?"

He shrugged. "I met him when he was younger, but my brother had said Atuss died. Never really thought much about it."

"How did your brother say he died?" Zargis asked.

"They were down here when he got very ill. Turned sickly and pale and very still until one day he didn't move again."

Zargis curled his lips into a snarl. "Why did you never tell me?"

"I believed my brother. I didn't think anything of it."

Zargis was now growling. "You've been my soldier for decades, Otreg! You tell me everything!"

"What is wrong?" Otreg seemed annoyed at the king's anger.

The king himself stood and paced. "Even I know that illness doesn't just suddenly come out of nowhere! Your nephew was poisoned!"

Otreg furrowed his brows. "How?"

"Someone must have known they were dragons, must have known about the nappers. They poisoned Atuss and when your family left him, thinking he was dead, they came back. Atuss was likely already coming down from the poison as they were taking him away!"

Otreg paled. "I didn't know!"

Zargis put a hand on the male's shoulder. "He's alive. Probably thinks his family is dead. We'll find him, get him home."

Otreg was quiet as we continued to travel. When we saw the battle happening, leagues away, he was one of the first to speed up.

Zargis and I are close behind him, squinting at the scene ahead. There was fighting, lots of blood, and many dead. I found the leader of one of our allies and dropped down next to him. "Walenbooke," I say as greeting.

"Kesar of Korgenyegia, I have a very interesting question." He turns to me, piercing blue eyes meeting mine. "Since when do the Dragon-nappers take two human girls and expect them to fight?"

I shrug. "Since one of them became queen."

The male raises a brow. "But you have many females that are human."

"Yes, but none as cunning and beautiful as Thelia." I look out over the battle and look for Jose. "Why do you ask?"

"One of them had her fellow prisoners rebelling against their captors."

I now turn back to him. "What do you mean?"

Walenbooke then told me of how all the dragons sat beside the girl and bowed their heads to him, almost as one. Then Walenbooke's expression turned grim. "Their captors we're not happy. One of them took the females from the dragons and out of sight. Several tried to help, but were shot. The next day, I saw the despair in their eyes, and no sign of the girls."

I nod my thanks and go to find Zargis and Otreg who were fighting off several enemies while talking to a crying white-haired male. "She said you'd come! Said you would find us! I didn't understand, but now I do!"

Otreg turned to the male and embraced him. "Where did they go, Atuss?"

Atuss shook his head, then paused. "She wrote something. It said 'water' I think."

That didn't help me at finding Jose and Thelia, but I didn't snarl at the boy, for that is Atuss. Just a boy in a man's body.

"We fight," Zargis hissed. "Then we go after them!"

By dawn the next day, the dragon-nappers were slain or taken captive. Many dragons still lived, either wounded or sick, but grateful. Several came up to Zargis, Otreg and I giving thanks. I nodded, but knew who really saved them.

"What happened?" Zargis asked later as we sat around a fire, eating a meal Walenbooke handed out.

"She was talked about as being ill in the head," Atuss began. "At first, I thought so too until I saw her talking to one of the others. Whenever the nappers were around, I saw how she slowed down and listened, saw how she let them believe she wasn't right. I tried to gain her attention without hurting her. But she never stayed near the cells again, only once."

"Do you know where she stayed?" Otreg asked.

Atuss shook his head. "No, but when we began moving, she was chained up to us. Eventually, I got close enough to speak to her, warn her about the battle." His eyes turned glassy. "She told me about you all. She told me she left clues. She said we would be saved!"

"How did you all know to sit when she did?" Zargis asked.

"She warned us. I told her to use my name to signal she was about to begin her plan." He began to sob. "If I had known what it was and how it would be dealt with, I would have stopped her!"

I shake my head. "She can't explain certain details. You would have been as lost as you were when she began, as worried as you are now."

"But I knew what she was trying to do!" Atuss said between gulps of air. "As soon as we followed her, I knew. I thought it would work, but Gideon was faster!"

"Gideon?"

Atuss nodded at Zargis's growl. "He took them. He dragged them away when we were shot and blacked out!"

"I was beside the other one when the human unchained her," said a male voice from behind Zargis. We all turned to him, and I heard both Zargis and Otreg suck in a breath. "He plans to take them to Tallannie. He wants to hurt them in every way possible."

"Father?" Zargis breathed.

The male bowed his head. "My son, you've grown into a handsome and strong dragon."

"Mother?"

"I'm sorry," the other dragon said. "She was not meant to live this long."

Zargis nodded, looking ready to join Atuss in crying.

Otreg leaned towards me. "The is King Juskah, Zargis's father."

I nod, awed I was able to see another king standing before me. This king knelt in front of Zargis and put a hand on his shoulder. "That female of yours wasn't of my approval when I first met her." Zargis curled his lip. "But when she fought and tore out a guard's eye for touching her, I saw what you did."

"She's back, then?" Otreg asked. "Thelia is herself?"

Juskah shook his head. "I do not know." He looks to me now. "However, Jose is in more danger."