Starfinder

THURMWOOD

MERCERON DESCENDED ALONG the coast, the choppy sea spraying his spectacles. Lady Esme glided alongside him, her sharp eyes searching the cliffs for an opening.

Even over the ocean’s briny scent, Merceron could smell his fellow dragons. He remembered the fold in the cliffs, a crack just large enough for him to squeeze through. The tangled vines clinging to the salt-covered rocks pointed the way. Lady Esme followed Merceron as he swooped lower, the waves licking at his belly. A tiny, sugar-white beach skimmed the bottom of the cliffs.

“There!”

With a flurry of his wings, Merceron landed on the sand. Esme alighted on his shoulder. Together they stared into the dark crevice. Merceron’s long snout tasted the air.

“A dozen of them,” he determined. “Maybe more.” The smell of fish and seaweed mingled in his nostrils, masking the lingering note of his beloved Dreojen. For a moment, Merceron couldn’t move. The tide rolled in, splashing against his back and driving Esme from his shoulder.

“Wait!”

Inhaling deeply, Merceron pushed his big body sideways into the crevice. The sunlight vanished instantly. The rocks scraped his wings. Slowly, the crevice opened into a tall, dripping cavern. Overhead, stalactites hung like daggers.

“Esme?” Merceron whispered. “Come here.”

He put out his arm. The gesture called the kestrel back to him. Just as her claws grasped his coat, something moved in the shadows. Merceron scraped his talons together, summoning a fiery spark. He blew on it until it lit the chamber. On the far side of the cavern, a familiar face stared back at him.

“Thurmwood.”

The dragon peeled himself from the shadows. His yellow, catlike eyes frowned. A single, upturned fang protruded from his lower jaw. Fifty years had barely changed him.

“Still alive,” groaned Thurmwood as he hunched his way across the cavern. “The mermaids said so, but I didn’t believe it.”

Merceron held up his fiery claw. “The others, too,” he said. He glanced around the cavern. “Ganomyrn, Varsilius—show yourselves.”

Two more dragons slipped from the shadows. Old Ganomyrn led the younger, small-boned Varsilius into the light. In the years before the war, Ganomyrn had been a close friend, an architect who’d designed some of Taurnoken’s grandest buildings. Varsilius, his son, was to follow in his work.

“Ganomyrn, where’s Dreojen?” Merceron asked. “I know she’s here.”

Before Ganomyrn could answer, Thurmwood stepped forward. “Of course she’s here,” he snapped. “She’s the one who led us here. She doesn’t want to see you, Merceron.”

Merceron frowned. “Is that true, Ganomyrn?”

Ganomyrn nodded. “I’m sorry, Merceron. Dreojen asked us to speak for her.”

“Why are you here?” asked Thurmwood. Before the war, he’d been Merceron’s assistant. A very able librarian, but prickly.

“Look closely,” said Merceron. He gestured to Esme. “Don’t you recognize her?”

Young Varsilius cried out, “Esme!”

Thurmwood put out his arm quickly, stopping Varsilius. “The humans brought her back here,” he snorted. “They must have.”

Merceron looked at him, surprised. “You know about the humans?”

“We hear things,” said Thurmwood. “The mermaids and fey have seen their airship.”

“Airship?” gasped Merceron. “What airship?”

“The black ship, near Pandera.” Thurmwood’s eyes narrowed on Merceron. “You didn’t know?”

Merceron shook his head. An airship could only mean one thing—Rendor had come.

“The Skylords have seen the humans, Merceron,” said Ganomyrn. “They’re massing to stop them.”

“Already?” sputtered Merceron. He was quickly running out of time. “Thurmwood, I need to see Dreojen. I have to speak to her.”

“Are you deaf? I told you—she doesn’t want to see you.” A bit of sympathy flickered in Thurmwood’s eyes. “Really, Merceron, can you blame her?”

Blame. The word made Merceron wince.

“There are others here with you,” said Merceron. “How many?”

“Fifteen,” said Varsilius quickly.

“What about everyone else? What happened at Taurnoken?”

Thurmwood replied, “The war, Merceron. You remember the war, don’t you?”

“But I left to end the war!”

“Well, I guess that wasn’t good enough for the Skylords.”

Old Ganomyrn said sadly, “We fled to save ourselves.”

“We don’t have to explain anything to him,” sniffed Thurmwood.

Merceron forced himself to stay calm. “Fine. If Dreojen won’t see me, then I’ll speak to you. I need your help, Thurmwood.”

“My help?” Thurmwood chortled, his one, overgrown tooth making a whistling noise. “With what?”

Merceron unbuttoned a pocket on his coat and reached inside. “With this.”

He pulled out the Starfinder, holding it out in his upturned claw. The other dragons fell dumbstruck.

“Are you mad?” hissed Thurmwood. “Are you stone? Do you care nothing for what might happen to us?”

“I had to bring it,” said Merceron. “I had nowhere else to turn.”

“That’s why the humans have come!” said Varsilius. “For the Starfinder! Are they after you, Merceron?”

“Did you steal it from them?” asked Thurmwood. “Is that why they’re here?”

“Just shut up and listen, will you?” Merceron stepped forward. “A boy gave me the Starfinder. A human, yes, but he’s on the run, too… from Rendor, Thurmwood. That ship you told me about is his.”

“Rendor?” Thurmwood put up his claws. “Enough. I don’t want to know anything more.”

Ganomyrn grimaced. “Merceron, if the Redeemers know you have the Starfinder…”

“They’ll follow you here!” spat Thurmwood. “You’ve led them right to us!”

“Where else was I to go?” asked Merceron. “Would you rather I gave Rendor the Starfinder? Thurmwood, we were friends long before the war. I need your help! You’re right—the Redeemers are after me. They know I have the Starfinder. I need to figure out a way to destroy it.”

Thurmwood shook his head. “Impossible. We’ve been through this already. We searched the library. No spells—”

“But since then,” Merceron interrupted. “Surely you must have considered it.”

“Merceron, we were too busy trying to stay alive.” Thurmwood waved his arm about the cavern. “Look around. Does this look like Taurnoken to you?”

“What about Esme?” asked Merceron. “Have you thought of a way to help her, at least? While you were sitting around here in the dark…”

“Esme and the Starfinder were gone!” cried Thurmwood. “We were rid of them, and we were glad for it! Now you bring them back to us? And humans too?” With a sweep of his wings, Thurmwood turned to go. “Leave, Merceron, please. Go back to wherever you were hiding. No one wants you here.”

He slipped back into the darkness. Ganomyrn and Varsilius hesitated.

“I’m sorry, Merceron,” said Ganomyrn. He put his hand on his son’s shoulder. “For everything. For… your loss. But Thurmwood’s right. We can’t help you this time.”

As he and Varsilius followed after Thurmwood, the little flame in Merceron’s hand flickered.

“Wait!” Merceron cried. “What about the Starfinder? What about Esme? Please, Thurmwood! There’s no one else who can help me!”

Thurmwood paused in the shadows. Merceron seized his chance.

“Thurmwood, if the Skylords get the Starfinder they’ll come after you,” he said. “You can’t hide. If they get it no one will be safe.”

From out of the darkness, Thurmwood replied, “Then we will wait here for them. And when they get here, we’ll know who to thank for it.”

Merceron slumped. “I came all this way…”

“Then rest. You can stay until sunset. But be gone before the night comes.”

Merceron watched Thurmwood’s tail disappear. On his shoulder, Lady Esme dipped her head in defeat.