Three of Nal-Arzul’s five children snarled at each other from across a flat mountaintop. The eldest, Arnum, glowed with such heat that the air around him turned red. His youngest brother, Spiriak, was flanked by two giants, both wielding a tree trunk as a club. In her corner, Chaarix’s form glittered with gold ornamentation and the shimmer of the protective spells placed upon them. But despite the differences, all their eyes burned with anger towards each other.

 

“I see you’ve hired some help,” Chaarix snapped at Spiriak.

 

“And you’ve been looting some old tomb,” he replied.

 

“Didn’t think you could take us on yourself?” she said.

 

Spiriak smirked. “Well, these giants were happy to serve. Besides, I didn’t want to wriggle through the earth like a worm.”

 

Chaarix snarled, but Arnum laughed. “You both share a weakness,” he declared, “You rely on things outside yourself.” He placed a claw to his chest. “But I have kindled the fire within. What was already a gale has become a hurricane of power within me.”

 

“Oh no,” Chaarix drawled, “Fire. I, a dragon, am so afraid of fire.”

 

“You should be,” Arnum said smugly, “Even before I gained this power, my flames singed the scales of our dear sister Aurelia.”

 

“Ha!” Spiriak scoffed, “Is that supposed to be impressive? Any of us could have defeated her.”

 

“You should not be so quick to discount her.” The three of them turned towards the new voice. Chazmir, the fourth of their number, stood up from his hiding spot and stood atop a rock outcropping. The his three siblings were caught off-guard by his sudden appearance, but tried not to show it. “Thank you for answering my summons, dear siblings. I did, in fact, call you here to speak of our sister, so this conversation serves my purposes well. In short, I believe she may yet be dangerous.”

 

Chaarix tossed her head. “Oh, I don’t think so,” she said, “Easy enough to deal with, in my opinion.”

 

“Oh?” Chazmir humored her, “Then why did you fly away after your ill-advised attack on her?”

 

Her jaw tightened. “Why you--! You saw that?”

 

“I see many things,” he said severely, “More than you know.”

Spiriak and Arnum snickered. “Chaarix lost to Aurelia? That’s hilarious.” Spiriak said with a cruel grin on his face.

 

“She had already lost,” Chaarix spat, “If she hadn’t had help, it would have been no contest.” She glared pointedly at Spiriak’s giants.

 

“And it is the nature of her help that makes her so dangerous,” Chazmir pressed, “Tell us, Chaarix. Who came to help her? A rampaging giant?” He glanced at Spiriak and rolled his eyes. “Or maybe a horde of goblins?”

 

“A human,” Chaarix said with venom, “On a horse.”

 

“A human on a horse. How interesting,” Chazmir drawled, “Let me tell you what I have uncovered about this human. He is Sir Nestor, of the Knights Penitent.”

That got some reaction from the three. Scowls and looks of distaste crossed all their faces. Spiriak smiled. Good. Very good.

 

He leaned in and lowered his voice. “Oh, but these are not just any knights. These knights not only slay monsters, they recruit and train them. Imagine, if you will, an troll in full armor riding a massive horse. That is a Knight Penitent.” He took a deep breath and said, in a low voice, “And this Sir Nestor is a respected member of their organization. He has won many victories, even without a troll’s strength or an orcs ferocity. He is a human who stands beside monsters and holds his own.”

 

Arnum huffed arrogantly. “Your point?”

 

“Somehow,” Chazmir said, “Our sister has befriended a knight, the scourge of our kind. Worse than that, though, she has befriended one of the most dangerous knights on the continent.” He lowered his voice yet further and added a slight tone of menace. “So, if I were you, I would start asking yourself how she did it. If, that is, you want to defeat her.”

 

The other three dragons exchanged glances. Then, they began laughing.

 

“He’s scared of Aurelia,” Spiriak scoffed.

 

Arnum sneered. “What’s dangerous to you, little brother, is not dangerous to me.”

 

“It was a fluke,” Chaarix insisted, “She won’t win ever again. Except maybe against you.”

 

Chazmir’s lips pulled back into a feral snarl. His tail lashed the dust behind him. “You think you are oh so powerful?” he snapped, “Chaarix, you think because you figured out how to use a few trinkets that you’ve surpassed me? I know how those work. I can see the weave of magic laid upon them. I can, if I want, make my own, and better ones.”

 

He rounded on Spiriak. “And you. Just because you intimidated a few monsters to follow you around does not mean you are any better off. They can’t even fly.”

 

“We can th’ow stones,” a giant muttered.

 

“Oh. It talks. Lovely,” Chazmir drawled. To Arnum, he said, “And you. You may have figured out how to harness some of your inner power, but I’ve read through all the tomes of ancient lore. You have barely scratched the surface. I alone have delved deep. I alone have mastered the width and breadth of our species’ lore. So when I say—”

 

“Anyone can read, Chazmir,” Chaarix said with a condescending smile, “It’s not that impressive. Reading without doing anything is meaningless.”

 

Arnum stretched his wings. “I think we’re done here. Thanks for the invite, Chazmir. It was good for a laugh.” He launched himself into the air. “I look forward to pounding your faces into the dirt!”

 

“Not if I do it first!” Chaarix said. She turned and flew away in a different direction.

 

Spiriak leered at Chazmir. “For someone older than me, you’re real dumb.” He snickered and flew off.

 

Chazmir fumed. So be it! If they did not want his help, then let Aurelia’s knights slay them all! It would make his job all the more simple. In the meantime, he had to figure out exactly what Aurelia was planning so that, when the time was right, he could put an end to it. Then, their father’s hoard would be all his, the most deserving of Nal-Arzul’s children!