Chapter 11-3: The Market

        Caden left Sir Eric's homestead. He was upset. He was going to head home to the bakery, but didn't want to anymore. So he wandered through the market. He didn't know where he wanted to go. Everyone was trying to go back to business as normal. But the town was still scarred from the Queen's attack. Many buildings hadn't been repaired at all. Hollow ruins, devoid of life. Others still had people working to rebuild. The sound of hammers and saws echoed behind the murmer of merchants selling and people buying.

        Caden saw Haron's stall was open. He remembered how he used to go there every day to see if Keilee was working. But he knew that she wouldn't be there, she was gone. Alone in some far off land and he couldn't do anything to bring her back. He crossed the street to avoid it. He walked over one of the bridges spanning the hallows in the ground. Fish swam underneath.

        "Caden!" Mika called. "Caden over here."

        Caden looked. Mika was waving from Haron's stall. He sighed and turned back. He walked over to her. "Morning, Mika," he said.

        Mika smiled. "Did you meet the Dragon Knights? Did you see my brother? Is he going to rescue Keilee?"

        Caden forced a smile. "Of course I found them. I didn't see Damion, but I talked with his general. I'm sure once he hears of what happened here, he'll be the first to sign up to rescue her."

        "Dad says that we shouldn't expect her to come back. He even made a grave shrine for her on our land."

        "Do you believe she's okay?"

        "I know she is."

        "So do I."

        "Things haven't been the same since that day." Mika dropped her head and looked at the dirt road.

        "What do you mean?"

        "Dad, he's been drinking more then uncle Eric lately," she said. "And he gets really angry a lot." Mika started crying.

        Caden looked at her. He noticed an old bruise under her sleeve. It was green and purple. "Hey, it'll be okay," He said. He lifted her chin. Her eyes were red. "Once Keilee returns, everything will be back to normal."

        Mika hugged Caden. He stood there, and she held him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

        "Everything will be okay," he said. "I'll bring Keilee back... I promise."

        Caden left Mika to her work. His mind focused on his promise, and trying to find a way to help poor Mika. He was so tied with his thoughts, he didn't hear someone calling his name. he stopped when he felt a tug on the back of his shirt. He turned around and saw a little boy holding onto him. He smiled, it was one of the children he saved. He looked around, and a couple of the other kids were there too, but stood back.

        "Caden," he said. "I heard you was eaten by the dwagon."

        Caden knelt down. "No, why would you think that?"

        "You was gone so long, and when you came back, you was hurt bad."

        "Well, it wasn't a dragon," Caden said. "And you don't need to worry about me. When I see dragons, I slay them and skin their hides for my clothes."

        "You saw a dwagon!" he said.

        "Yeah--" Caden scratched his head "--and it was fierce. It wasn't as big as the Queen, but still huge. It had fangs as long as my hand." Caden held up his hand in front of the boy, it covered his face. "That's bigger then your head!"

        "Wow!" The other children gathered around Caden. "Wasn't you scared?"

        "No way. I wasn't afraid in front of the Dragon Queen, and this was just a pup. Plus I had that sacred sword from the temple."

        "The green and black one?"

        "Yeah, you remember it. That sword is magical, and I was able to take down that dragon with just one hit."

        "What else have you done?" a little girl asked.

        "Well, I faced a witch down, stood in testimony before the goddess, defeated some bandits..."

        "You're so strong," said the little girl.

        "I'll say." Caden turned around. The barkeep from the tavern was standing behind him. Caden didn't even notice he was sitting in front of it. After it was rebuilt it looked completely different. The place he used to climb to the roof was gone, and it looked bigger. The courtyard wall was rebuilt with an arch over the hallow the Queen left. "Come inside. Why don't you tell us about your travels."

        "I thought I was too young."

        "My boy--" he put a hand on Caden's back, "--if you can travel across the province, track down the Knight's camp, and survive a sword fight, then you're old enough to come inside."

        Caden smiled. He waved to the children as he walked into the tavern for the first time.

Chapter 11-2: Sir Eric

        Caden finished every delivery except Sir Eric's. He carried the basket, empty sacks and two loaves of oat bread. He felt better, and regretted spending two weeks in bed. Even now he wondered how close the Dragon Knights were to rescuing Keilee.

        Sir Eric's homestead looked the same as it always did. Caden knocked on the door. Sir Eric opened the door. He wore a simple white shirt, brown pants and leather brace over his missing shoulder. Caden stared at the wound.

        "Caden?" Sir Eric said. "So you're not dead after all."

        "No, Sir."

        Sir Eric took his bread from the basket. "So how did your quest go?"

        "I made it to the Dragon Knight training camp, and now I need your help."

        "Why?"

        "I can join the Dragon Knights to save Keilee, if I'm not to late already," Caden said. "But first I need to slay five dragons. Can you help me?"

        Sir Eric sighed. He stepped aside and held the door open. "You better come in."

        Caden smiled and stepped into the house. Sir Eric closed the door, and motioned for Caden to sit at a table. He walked into the kitchen. Caden sat in the small room. He had never been inside Sir Eric's home before. He looked at the bearskins on the floor, and the deer antlers on the wall over the fireplace. Caden smiled when he saw through an open door. Sir Eric's Dragon Knight armor was displayed in a small shrine in the next room, exactly how it should be. 

        Caden stood up and walked into the next room. In the center of the far wall, was Sir Eric's armor. Spread out on shelves were weapons, broken bits of war machines, statues, and other trinkets collected from the battle field. Everything Sir Eric ever did, and was ever honored for was on display in this room. A museum to his service for the dragon knights.

        Caden walked around the room. He wondered what part of a dragon would he find. What part is considered a trophy. The heads would be too big to be put on display. Looked for a fang, or a talon, or even a scale. While he looked for the dragon trophies, he stopped on a weapon. A sword, that looked exactly like Rilyn's. Caden picked it off of the shelf and looked at the half sun engravings.

        Caden heard a shatter come from the kitchen. He returned the curved sword to it's place on the shelf and went to the kitchen. He found Sir Eric picking up a broken tea cup. Caden helped him clean up. He took the tray of tea out to the main room and set it down.

        Sir Eric came out with a new tea cup. "Caden, I'm going to make this as clear as I can." He set the tea cup down on the table. Caden served the tea. "Before the Dragon Queen attacked Erdon, I didn't believe dragons existed."

        "What do you mean?" Caden placed a cup in front of Sir Eric. "You've been trained to fight dragons, how could you not believe in them?"

        Eric shook his head. "I was never trained to fight dragons," he said. "I was trained to fight people."

        "You mean trolls and gremlins."

        "No, though they are closer to people then you might think. I was trained to fight people, like you, me or the mayor. We're never taught anything about dragons."

        "So you were part of a special squad? Others specialized in dragons."

        "No. None of us were."

        "But the general, he said his best dragon trackers wou..."

        Sir Eric slammed his fist into the table. His tea cup tipped over. "You're not listening to me. There are no dragon trackers, no dragon slayers." Caden watched the tea run across the rough wood table and drip onto the floor. "We got hundreds of 'dragon sightings' every moon. Yet not a single one ever turned out to be anything more then a rumor. The dragon knights don't investigate most of them anymore. The general probably thought that you made to story up to join even after he turned you down."

        "But he said..."

        "He lied, Caden. He told you what you wanted to hear so you would leave. No one is looking for the Queen, no one is going after Keilee."

        "The Queen, it's attacked other temples. When more reports about her come in, then..."

        "No, they'll go to the closest Dragon Knight camp. And they will be ignored. No one will pass on the story, so no one will ever see any patterns."

        Caden stood up. He grabbed his basket and sacks. "You're lying. You just don't want me to join them." Caden walked to the door.

        "Believe what you will, Caden. But the only people in the world who will believe your story are right here in Erdon."

        Caden left and slammed the door. Sir Eric left the tea on the table. He went into the kitchen and fetched a bottle of shine.

Chapter 10: Rilyn's Visit

        The next morning when Caden woke up, he was feeling better. He didn't feel tired, and his body didn't ache anymore. When Sam came in with breakfast, he had already washed and gotten dressed. She smiled when she saw him up and moving. She set his breakfast down on the dresser and felt his forehead and cheeks.

        "You're fever finally broke," she said.

        "Yeah," Caden said. "I feel great."

        "I'll let people know that you're feeling better. I'm sure you'll have a couple of visitors today." Sam guided Caden back to bed. "But I want you to take it easy for at least one more day."

        Caden ate his food while Sam checked his bandages.

        Caden was feeling restless. He sat in bed and stared out the window. When he got tired of sitting, he stood up and walked circles around his room. He promised Sam that he'd stay in for one more day, but he was finally feeling better, and he was anxious to get out. He wanted to leave again and find some dragons, so he could help save Keilee. 

        He looked out past the buildings, trees, and bluffs. How close were the Dragon Knights to finding the Queen? With the church reporting attacks on temples, they'd know which way she went. Once they find her, how long will it take to kill her? Caden needed to talk to Sir Eric, find out how much time he has to join them.

        It was still before lunch time when Rilyn came to visit. He opened the door and saw Caden standing by the window. He knocked. Caden turned around and saw Rilyn standing in the door frame, holding the door.

        "Hey, Rilyn," Caden said. "Come in, have a seat."

        Rilyn closed the door. "Hi. I came to see how you were feeling."

        "Really good. How long have I been in here?"

        "About two weeks. We got you home, but you had a fever," said Rilyn. "I came by a couple of times, but you were asleep or delusional."

        "I guess that explains the weird dreams."

        "If we see Su again, I need to appologize to her." Rilyn sat down on the foot of Caden's bed. "She saved your life."

        "I know, Sam told me. What happened?"

        "After you fell, I managed to stop the last two before they could attack you further. We tried to stop the bleeding but the cuts were too deep. That's when Su showed up, she just came out of the woods. She knows a lot about healing and was able to bind your wounds. If she wasn't there, you would have bled out."

        "I need to thank her it seems."

        "You'll need to find her. She disappeared again."

        "What do you mean? She was here last night."

        "I haven't seen her since we returned to Erdon."

Chapter 9: The Dread Knights

        The first thing Caden saw was the black shrouds. Then from the darkness came three Dragon Knights. He tightened his grip on the stone sword. Caden looked at Rilyn. He was ready. He dropped the cane next to Father Achilleos and held his sword in one hand. Rilyn had a loose grip on the sword, it looked like it was balanced on his index finger. Father Achilleos continued to draw in his small book.

        "Don't hold it too tight," Rilyn said.

        Caden nodded. "Their not Dragon Knights, not anymore."

        "Wouldn't matter if they were."

        "This is what I first fought in the catacombs. They move slow now, but they can have bursts of speed."

        The first Knight rushed forward, Caden raised the sword and blocked the attack to his head. He brought the sword down into the Knight's arm. The bone cracked and the dead flesh ripped. It fell to the ground in a stream of straw and preservative herbs. Caden's sword completed it's swing and the tip dug into the earth.

        The second Knight charged Rilyn. He blocked repeated blows, unable to get in an attack. Caden looked for the third Knight but couldn't see him. The first Knight picked up its sword from the severed limb. Caden pulled his sword out of the ground. He felt a line of fire across his back. He fell forward and leaned on his sword. He turned around and saw the third Knight. It's sword was smeared with blood.

        Caden looked down, another sword was in his side. He looked up and saw the first Knight holding it in its left arm. Caden laughed. There was no pain. He was going to die, and he felt no pain.

        He fell to the ground. Darkness filled his vision from the corners of his eyes. He saw the third Knight standing over him, it's sword raised above it's head, the tip pointing down. He felt warm, and safe. He giggled again. Then everything was black.

Chapter 8: Father Achilleos

        Caden and Rilyn went to the temple as soon as they finished eating. They left Starlight and most of their gear back at the Blue Fox. They walked along the river. They banks of the river were replaced by stone levees. About every eight fathoms there were stone stairs and a stone landing for boats to tie up to. Many fish merchants docked at the landings and sold the fish straight from the boat.

        Rilyn plugged her nose. "Uhg," she grunted. "I hate the smell of fish."

        "So, do I," Caden said. "And the taste is even worse."

        "Well, at least Cassy gave us good food before I lost my appetite from this smell."

        "Yeah, I guess she heard some rumor about us."

        "You mean a rumor about you," Rilyn said. She poked Caden in the ribs. "I wasn't even mentioned."

        "It's not a big deal." He shrugged. "Everyone is going to forget about it and move on to a new story tomorrow anyway."

        "This coming from a kid who sat on the roof of a Tavern to listen to traveler's tales."

        "How did you..."

        "The mayor told me." She slapped Caden on the back. "He said it was important information to know."

        Caden blushed. "Well, from now on, I'm going to be writing my own stories."

        They walked around a corner and saw numerous people stand on the Temple mall. Father Achilleos and two other priests were speaking with them.

        Rilyn looked at Caden. "Another witch?"

        Caden shook his head and ran up the steps and onto the mall.

        The people in the crowd were shouting to the three priests. "... protect my son!" "My brother disappeared on his way to Scania, can he find him?" Everyone was calling out a request for protection, aid, and a few seeking revenge. 

        Caden pushed his way to the front of the crowd. "Father!" he called. "Father!" He got pushed back and fell down. He moved between the crowds legs till he got right next to Father Achilleos. "Father!"

        Father Achilleos looked at Caden and grabbed him by the arm. "Good, to see you my boy," he said. "Now let's go." Father Achilleos lead Caden through the shouting mob.

        "Shouldn't we go inside the temple?" Caden pointed behind them.

        "Uh..." Father Achilleos looked back at the crowd. "Where are you staying?"

        "The Blue Fox."

        "That will be much better I think." Father Achilleos lead Caden away from the shouting mob and past Rilyn. She followed them.

        Father Achilleos didn't say anything until they were sitting in the Blue Fox's common room. He asked Caden to tell him what happened with Father Coteson. Cassy served them all cinnamon milk tea. While Caden talked, Father Achilleos scratched his short scraggly beard. Their mugs stopped steaming before Caden stopped talking.

        When Caden finished his story, Father Achilleos said, "That is very distressing. Brother Coteson was protecting a very religious site. There might be greater dangers then the dragon queen." 

        "Then you didn't see what she did to my home," Caden said. "And what was going on at the temple?"

        "People have been making requests," said Father Achilleos. "That are beyond the church." He took a drink of cold tea. "As for the dangers I mentioned, I spoke with the council of Brothers, and the Dragon Queen has been seen attacking other Temples."

        "Where has she been seen? We need to get that information to the Knights!"

        Father Achilleos held up his hands. "That will be dealt with in due course," he said. "However, the barrier that protects the temples seems to be fading. The next temple that the Dragon Queen may not survive the assault."

        "Barrier?" asked Caden. "Do you mean the magic that saved our temple?"

        "Yes. There was something very important in Erdon that made that protection possible."

        "The Queen's Heart."

        "No." Father Achilleos shook his head. "There is something far more valuable in Erdon."

        Rilyn looked at Caden. He shrugged. 

        "Brother Michael was supposed to go, but he seemed busy today. I think I shall make the trip to Erdon in his place." Father Achilleos looked at Caden. "If you'll talke me."

Chapter 8: The Road Home

        Caden rode Starlight. Rilyn walked on the left side. They crossed the hills and valleys as they returned to Tinate. They travelled an extra half day out of their way to avoid going through Sharsden a second time. The small rodent rode on Caden's shoulders. He fed it small bites of bread.

        "You shouldn't feed that," Rilyn said. "It is a wild animal."

        "It's okay, it's okay," Caden said waving his hand at Rilyn. "It's tame. A merchant probably carried it from the other side of the Yongsan Mountains before it escaped it's cage." Caden petted the furry creature.

        "You're a strange person."

        "How so?"

        "You trust everybody," Rilyn said. "I don't know anyone who would go out of their way to defend someone who is accused to be a witch."

        "Maybe more people should," Caden said. "How many innocent people may have suffered for a false accusation?"

        Rilyn sighed. "I suppose." He walked next to Caden in silence. "You're a good person," whispered Rilyn. "I'd hate to see what you'd become if you actually join the Dragon Knights."

        Caden didn't hear Rilyn, he just continued to look forward and ride back to Tinate.

        When Caden and Rilyn reached Tinate, they traveled straight to the temple. Caden tied up Starlight in the temple mall. The small rodent jumped off of Caden's shoulder. Caden watched it run under a building into a sewer drain.

        "I guess our friend isn't much of a temple patron," said Caden.

        Rilyn sighed and shook his head. They walked over to the temple doors and Caden pulled. The door was locked. Caden furrowed his brow and pulled again.

        "That's odd," Caden said.

        "What?"

        "The temple doors shouldn't be locked."

        "Tinate is a bigger place then Erdon. Maybe it's normal here."

        "No," Caden said. "The book of the 3rd Sage, Chapter 18, verse 26. 'The doors of the sanctuary shall never be sealed, so that none are denied salvation.' It's a cardinal rule of the order."

        "You have the sacred texts memorized?" asked Rilyn.

        "Not all of them."

        "Come on," Rilyn said. He grabbed Caden's shirt. "I'm hungry, and I want something other then stew bread." Rilyn dragged Caden to Starlight. "We'll get a room at the Blue Fox and come back in the morning."

        "That's okay." Caden said. He continued to look back at the Temple. "We're out of Stew Bread anyway."

        Caden and Rilyn sat in the common room of the Blue Fox. Caden stirred and nibbled at the stew. He looked across the table at Rilyn. Rilyn had already eaten two bowls and was attacking his third with a dinner roll smothered in butter.

        "I thought you were sick of Stew and Bread?" Caden asked.

        "No," Rilyn said. He held up his spoon. "I'm sick of Stew Bread. This stuff is much better."

        "It's the same stuff, just the bread is a lower quality."

        "Wrong, this stuff is warm." Rilyn went back to eating.

        Caden picked up his mug. He frowned at the pungent smell of the brown stout, but at least it was better then the shine. He took a swig of the bitter drink, and watched Rilyn finish another mug. He drank like Sir Eric did.

         A man from the other side of the common room stood up and walked over. He was a stout and overweight man. His large stomach strained the stitches on his stained cream shirt. He didn't so much walk, as he waddled over to Caden.

        "You're Caden of Erdon," he said, "aren't you?"

        "Yes," Caden answered. "How did you know?"

        "I come here a lot. I saw you last time you passed through and overheard you talking about the Dragon Knights." He pulled up his drooping pants and stratched his shaggy beard. "So how did that go?"

        "Better then expected," Caden answered. Caden looked across the table at Rilyn and raised an eyebrow.

        Rilyn shrugged and shook his head.

        "That's great," he said. "Next time you're in Tinate, stop by and tell me more about your journeys." The man shook Caden's hand and waddled out the door.

        Caden waved Cassy over to their table. "Who was that?" Caden asked.

        Cassy looked out the window and saw the man leaving the Courtyard gate. "I don't know. I've never seen him before."

        Caden looked at Rilyn.

        Rilyn passed a bush axe to Caden under the table. "Sleep lightly tonight."

        Rilyn stayed in the common room for an hour after Caden left to sleep. She slipped into the room, being careful with the door. She closed it slowly and put the latch down. She walked over to Caden's bed and checked on him. He was sound asleep, the brush axe had fallen on the floor and was stuck in the boards. She smiled. She took off her hat and cloak, freeing her long fiery red hair. She unhooked her swords and set them at the foot of her bed. She took an ivory comb and worked it through her hair. She looked at Caden's sleeping form and smiled. She climbed into the opposite bed and went to sleep.

Chapter 7: The General

        Rilyn sat in grass and watched the clouds drift by. Starlight grazed. Caden recounted the tale of the Dragon Queen to the general. The general listened and nodded. His brow was tight, and he kept a tight frown on his face.
        When Caden finished, the general said, "That's quite the story.゛
        "It's true,"Caden said.
        "I believe you."
        "So you'll rescue Keilee?"
        "I'll send my best dragon trackers out immediately. Without fail, I promise they will find this dragon and kill it by the next new moon."

        "But this isn't any ordinary dragon," Caden said. "It's the Dragon Queen."

        "The great sages have left us everything we need to deal with that old lizard." The general put his hand on Caden's shoulder. "And if your friend is still alive, we'll bring her back to your village."

        "I want to go with." Caden looked up at the general.

        "Oh?" The general looked down into Caden's eyes.

        "Please, reconsider, let me join," Caden said. "I'm stronger then I look, let me go with the dragon trackers so that I may help rescue Keilee."

        The general's brow relaxed, and he smiled. "If it means that much to you."

        Caden smiled.

        "I'm not supposed to do this." The general leaned down and whispered to Caden. "But I will make you a deal."

        Rilyn looked and watched closely as the general whispered into Caden's ear.

        Caden and Rilyn walked back to where they left Su. Rilyn looked at Caden. He hadn't stopped smiling since they departed ways from the general.

        "Are you going to tell me what he said, or is this another secret?"

        "No, I'll tell you," said Caden. "He agreed to let me join the Dragon Knights."

        "Okay, so why are you leaving?"

        "I need to talk with Sir Eric. I can only join them if I prove my strength and bring them the heads of five dragons. I figure Sir Eric should know how to track down some small ones."

        Rilyn shook his head and followed behind Caden. "Then we should double your training so you can defeat them with the stone sword."

        Caden looked back and smiled. He raised his left hand over his shoulder and gave Rilyn a thumbs up. "Sounds like a plan."

        They reached the top of the hill where they left Su. But she was no longer on the outcropping of rock. Caden dropped his knapsack and looked around, but couldn't find her anywhere. 

        Rilyn smiled, glad to be rid of the troublesome girl. "Well, guess she left. Let's hurry back to Tinate."

        "It's late, we should camp here and continue on in the morning," Caden said. "She might come back yet tonight."

        "Fine. I'll build a fire."

        Caden walked over to his knapsack and saw a small furry creature trying to untie the knot. "Hey, get away from there!" Caden ran at it. It jumped away and ran away. It stopped and stood up on it's hind legs. Caden never saw anything like it before. It looked like a rodent, but had a long, slim sinewy body. 

        It looked at Caden like it was begging for food. Caden sighed. He opened his knapsack and took out a loaf of stew bread. He tore off a fourth of it and threw it onto the ground. The rodent thing picked it up and started to eat. 

        "No more," Caden said. "I need to make the rest of this last till we return home."

Chapter 7: Dragon Knights

        Rilyn walked behind Caden and Su. She seemed normal. Her hair was the same dark brown most people had in this country. She was about a head shorter then Caden. Rilyn guessed she was around 15 harvests. Which was the oddest thing about her, traveling alone so young.

        Caden wasn't saying much, but she was talking on and on. Nothing unusual either, just meaningless chatter. Rilyn couldn't understand why she hated her so much. Watching her pick wildflowers, making Caden laugh. Rilyn didn't want Su to be a witch. She just wanted a reason to get rid of her. Rilyn watched as Caden and Su talked. How she made him smile, made him laugh. Caden was talking about what happened. Rilyn gribbed her swords, imagining Su without a head.

        "... and that's when the Dragon Queen took Keilee. Now I'm on a quest to save her."

        "Wow," said Su. "When I asked why you needed the Dragon Knights, I didn't expect all that."

        "I figure it's what they're best at, right?"

        "I don't know." Su rubbed the back of her head. "I mean, I didn't even think Dragon's existed."

        "Of course they exist," Caden said. "Didn't you listen to all the stories when you went to temple?"

        "To tell you the truth," Su said. "My family didn't go to temple all that often."

        Caden looked at Su. She looked up at him. He blushed. She laughed.

        "Why?" Rilyn asked. "Too sacred for your family traditions?"

        Caden looked at Rilyn, his brow tight, his mouth frowning, and his eyes looked dark. Was she bewitching him? Clouding his mind?

        Su looked back over her shoulder. "What? I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were in this conversation." She sneered at Rilyn and ran ahead. She ran up the hill, and climbed onto one of the jagged outcroppings of rock. "Hey Caden," she called. "Come here and look at this."

       Caden looked at Rilyn again. Then he ran up the hill to join her. Starlight snorted and trotted behind him. Even the horse hates me, thought Rilyn.

        Caden let go of Starlight's reigns so he could climb up the rock after Su. She pointed out into the distance. "Look," she said. "You can see the Dragon Knight training camp from here." Caden looked out. 

        On top of another hill, about two hours away, Caden could see a green wall. "Still pretty far."

        "Well, I showed you the way."

        Caden looked at Su. "Are you leaving?"

        "I only said I would show you the way," Su said. "I don't want to go there."

        "Okay, well..." Caden looked at Rilyn drudging up the hill. "Thanks for your help."

        Su touched Caden's cheek. "Tell you what," she said. "I'll wait here for you. If you want me to continue traveling with you, come back for me."

        Caden jumped down off of the rock. Rilyn made it up the hill. Caden mounted Starlight. Rilyn looked up at Su sitting on the rock. "She's not coming," Caden said. He reached out to Rilyn. "Come on, if we both ride, we can get there sooner."

        Starlight looked at Rilyn and snorted. "Can you carry us both?" Rilyn asked. Starlight pawed at the ground, snorted, and shook her head. Rilyn looked at Caden. "Was that a yes?"

        "No," Caden said. "That was a, 'I can't talk, I'm just a horse.' Now hurry up."

        Rilyn and Caden road up to the camp wall. As they got closer, they could see the wall was a fathom tall rose bush. It was thick too, Caden looked at it, and couldn't see through. The branches seemed to twine together tighter and tighter farther in. They rode around the camp till they reached the gate. It was a large stone and wood door, with two Dragon Knights standing guard in front. They wore metal breastplates, except the left shoulder pieces were made from wood and leather. Their left ears and eyes were missing, replaced by jagged scars.

        Caden dismounted and approached the Knights. They drew their swords. "Halt," they said. "Come no closer to this holy land."

        "We come to seek the aide of the Dragon Knights," Caden said.

        The guard on the right sheathed his sword. "Fear not," he said. "The Dragon Knights protect all the citizens of this Kingdom. Return home, for you are safe."

        "But I have urgent news," said Caden. "A general was in my town recently. He came here with three recruits from Erdon."

        "It is an honor to serve the Dragon Knights," he said. "I hope you're not here to ask for their return."

        "No, I'm here to ask the general for many more knights to return and protect us from a great evil."

        "Then tell me what you wish to say, and I shall convey the message."

        "No, I will only talk with the general," Caden said. "He must here this from me."

        The two Knights looked at each other. The one on the left whistled. A falcon flew down and landed on the wooden shoulder guard. It sat there for a minute before it took off. "The general will be coming shortly," he said.

        Caden and Rilyn sat and waited. Starlight grazed. Caden kept staring at the horrible scars they had. He wondered how they lost their left ears and eyes. The scars were similar, so it looked like it happened in the same way.

        The gate opened and the general stepped out. He looked at Caden and smiled. "Long way from home," he said. "Aren't you boy."

        Caden stood up. "I want you to know," he said. "I learned my lesson from our last meeting, and everything I say is the truth."

Chapter 7: New Path

        Caden and Rilyn walked up a hill. They exited Sharsden on the opposite road that they came in on. Neither talked on the hike up the steep hill. At the top, they stopped next to the lone tree and looked back at the town. A few people stood at the edge of town and stared back up at them.

        "Makes you wonder," Rilyn said. "Doesn't it?"

        "What?"

        "What the Dragon Knights have done to that town to make them react like that."

        "No, it doesn't," Caden said. "It's clear that the man has corrupted the town."

        "What man?"

        "The man with the dark shroud," said Caden. "I don't know what it means, but I know he caused this."

        "Sucks doesn't it?" said a voice from the tree.

        Rilyn and Caden looked up. The young woman from Tinate sat on a branch. She wore brown boots with a short dark green dress. 

        "What does?" Rilyn asked. He dropped his hands under his cloak and grabbed the handle of his curved swords.

        "Getting chased out of town for something you didn't do." She jumped out of the tree and landed in front of Rilyn. She stuck out her hand. "Hi, I'm Suzidan."

        "Hey Su," Caden said. "What are you doing out here?"

        Su spun around on her toe. She faced Caden. "Hi Cady. I followed you. Thought maybe you could use my help."

        "And what makes you think you can help us?" asked Rilyn.

        "Well, let's see." She placed a finger on her lips. "Caden saved my life, so I guess I owe him the same." She tapped her mouth. "What else, oh that's right! I know where the Dragon Knight training camp is."

        "Will you show us?" asked Caden.

        "Of course I will." Su kicked the tree. It shook and a bag fell out of the branches. She caught it and slipped the strap over her shoulders. "Shall we go then?" She walked away from the town as leaves from the tree drifted down around her.

        Caden followed. Rilyn grabbed his elbow, stopping him. "This is too convient," he said. "I don't trust her."

        Caden shook his arm free. "Will you relax," Caden said. "She's not a witch. Trust me on this."

        "Not unless you can tell me what happened in that tower."

        Caden dropped his head. "It's complicated." He clicked his tongue and pulled Starlight by the reigns. He walked after Su.

Chapter 7: Shattered Dreams

        Caden dreamt that night. In his dream, he was grown up. He was strong, his arms and chest well defined and muscular from the training Rilyn gave him. He was by the river, Keilee was safe and sleeping with her head on his lap. He stroked her hair. He heard a splash. Out in the river, another woman was bathing. Her wet skin glimmered in the orange light of the dying fire while the water sparkled under the full moon. She was the most beautiful woman Caden had ever seen. Her long red hair glistened.

        That morning, they broke camp, ate the last of the wheat bread and preserves, and set off down the highway. As they walked along that morning, Rilyn saw Caden smiling like a fool.

        "What are you smiling about?" He asked.

        "Oh, nothing," Caden said. "I just had a really good dream last night."

        "Well, stay focused on the real world. I don't understand why you like that thing." Rilyn pointed at the Stone Sword. "But until you can lift it all the time, I want you to stick to the short sword."

        "It's not a sword," Caden said. "It's a brush axe."

        "Still, you can actually lift it, so use that till you get stronger."

        "Okay." The mention of getting stronger made Caden think about his dream again.

        "From what Ramone said, we should reach Sharsden around noon," Rilyn said.

        They continued to walk down the highway. The terrain had few trees, but many hills dotted by giant boulders jutting out of them at odd angles. By noon, it was hotter then the day before. Caden was sweating a river. He emptied the water flask he had filled that morning by the river. He looked at Rilyn. Rilyn still wore the same cloak with the high collar covering his face up to his nose. The wide brimmed hat cast a shadow over his eyes.

        "Damn, aren't you hot?" asked Caden.

        "No."

        "Do you ever take that cloak off?"

        "The cloak is what keeps me cool," said Rilyn. "It's been blessed to protect me from the second sun."

        Caden shielded his eyes and squinted at the single sun in the sky. "What are you talking about?"

        Caden and Rilyn reached the top of a hill. They looked down at a valley nestled between 5 hills. In the valley, there was a town about the same size as Erdon.

        "That must be Sharsden," Rilyn said.

        "I doubt the Dragon Knights are still there," said Caden. "Let's go down and see if anyone knows where their training camp is."

        Caden and Rilyn walked down the hill and into the town. There are very few people in the streets, and all of them were woman or small children. The buildings were old and rundown. Caden noticed many buildings looked boarded up and abandoned. The ceiling of the stables next to the smithy collapsed and hasn't been repaired. The forge inside was cold and covered in dust and cobwebs. Tools were scattered on the floor and rusted.

        "What happened here?" asked Caden.

        "This town looks dead."

        Caden saw an old woman and young boy walk out from a side street. "Excuse me," he said.

        The woman looked up at Caden and Rilyn. She grabbed the boy and ran down the street. Rilyn looked around. He saw several people close their windows. "Caden," he said, "I don't think we're going to get much help from around here."

        "There has to be someone who will help us." Caden pulled on Starlight's reigns and guided her to the center of the town.

        In the center of Sharden, there was a fountain with a statue of three Dragon Knights. The fountain was dry. The foundation cracked. Moss and ivy grew over the statues. One of the statues was broken, missing it's head. One was missing an arm, and the third his sword. Caden brushed off an inscription on the key stone. It read, "We honor the brave Dragon Knights who guide and protect our fair town."

        Caden stood up on fountain's basin wall. "Everyone!" he yelled. "We need your help."

        A few people looked out windows and doors. Rilyn watched them. His hands dropped to under his cloak.

        "We are on an urgent mission," he continued. "Innocent lives are at stake. We need to know where we can find the Dragon Knights."

        Woman and children walked out. Rilyn gripped the handles to both of his swords.

        Caden leans down to Rilyn. "I told you there would be people willing to help us." Caden felt a cold chill run down his spine. He shivered under the hot midsummer sun.

        One elderly woman stepped forward. "If you're looking for the Dragon Knights, we don't want you in our town."

        "Why?"

        "They killed our sons and husbands," she said. "Taking them off to fight losing battles, stealing what they want, leaving us with only enough to survive."

        "But the Dragon Knights protect us," Caden cried.

        A young boy picked up a rock and threw it at Caden. He hit Caden in the head. Caden fell into the dry fountain basin. He hit his head against the base of the statues. He looked up, the world spun in front of him. He saw two Rilyns draw four curved swords. He saw a man walk out of a building. He had a dark shroud over his shoulders. He smiled. Caden stood up and grasped the back of his head. More people picked up refuse and threw it at Rilyn and Caden. Rilyn deflected what he could with his swords. 

        Caden looked at the man with the dark shroud. His vision cleared. He stood up and grabbed the stone sword off of Starlight. He held it up in one hand. "By this holy sword of the temple," he shouted. "Stop your attack and we'll leave peacefully!"

        The crowd stopped and stared at him holding the stone sword without any difficulty. With that, Caden nodded to Rilyn, grabbed Starlight by the reigns, and they left. They walked past the man with the dark shroud. He laughed, showing black gums receding from his teeth.

        Caden looked at him. "I'll be back to deal with you."

Chapter 5: Tinate

        Caden and Rilyn walked along the highway. The weapons were put away, and Caden massaged his shoulder. Rilyn moved behind Caden. When he got next to Starlight, she nipped at him. Rilyn jumped away. Caden pulled the reigns.
        "I don't think she likes me," Rilyn said.

        "She senses that you're afraid of her," said Caden. "That makes her in charge. With animals, it's all about who's the master."

        "Yeah," said Rilyn. "But people aren't that way."

        "You're not going to start up on the bandits again?"

        "It was a mistake to leave them alive."

        "Enough already," Caden said. "One is never going to be able to walk right again, and if infection sets in, the other is going to lose his sword arm. Even if he avoids infection, wounds like that never heal straight. We won't see them again."

        "You know what they say, a wounded Kryptop is the most dangerous."

        Where does he get these sayings? "Besides, you stole their bush axes," Caden said. "So I guess they're wounded and toothless Kryptops."

        Caden and Rilyn walked through the southern gate of Tinate. The gate had two massive stone pillars, each almost 5 fathom's tall and 15 hands wide. They were 1 and a half fathom's apart. The pillars were connected by two cross beams, one above the other. In the center of the cross beams, a vertical sign displayed, "南 Tinate." Four guards, two on each side, stood at the gate.

        Caden stopped under the gate. Rilyn continued to walk. The guards looked at him. The traffic moved around him. "Um? Excuse me?" asked Caden.

        "What do you want, kid?"

        "Have the Dragon Knights passed through here?"

        "Who're they?" asked the first Guard.

        "Don't know know that Dragon's don't exist, kid?" said the second guard. "Now get lost."

        Caden looked at them. They started making jokes about dragons. Caden pulled on Starlight's reigns and caught up to Rilyn.

        They searched the city for cheap lodging. They settled on the Blue Fox. Caden tied Starlight up in the central courtyard next to a trough. They walked into the common room. Caden looked at the barkeep. He knodded at them, so they sat at a table near the fire place. 

        Caden leaned next to Rilyn. "I hope it's okay for me to be here."

        "Why wouldn't it?" asked Rilyn.

        "In Erdon, they said I was too young."

        The serving girl walked over to the table. Caden guessed that she was about 20 harvests. Caden stared, she wore only a black skirt, yellow camisole, and red bodice. She set two mugs down. "If you're hungry, we have lamb, roasted with onions, potatoes, and carrots. I can fix you up with some bread and cheese if you prefer that. We have rooms available. If you want separate chambers, it'll cost 30 swans, but only 20 if you share a room." She looked at Caden staring. "If you want company tonight, that costs more."

        "What?"

        Rilyn kicked Caden under the table. Caden looked away from the serving girl's chest and looked at Rilyn. "We'll share a room, thanks," said Rilyn. "And bring us two plates of lamb, and some bread and cheese to share, and make the next round a pitcher of dark stout."

        "Sure thing, sweetie." The serving girl walked off. 

        Caden stared at her leaving. "Maybe we should look for some place cheaper," he said. He turned to Rilyn. "I only have about 12 swans."

        "Relax," Rilyn said. "The mayor knew you wouldn't have any money. He's covering all of this." Rilyn removed the coins from under his cloak. "Just promise not to do anything stupid and lose what money you do have."

        "What's that mean?" Caden took a drink from his mug. The clear liquid felt like fire. Caden coughed.

        "And go easy on the shine."

        The serving girl set down the plates, a loaf of bread, a wheel of cheese with a small knife, and a pitcher. She winked at Caden. "My name's Cassy, by the way." She took Rilyn's coin and left. Caden watched her leave again.

        Caden left the table shortly after eating. The shine and stout made his face feel hot, and the rest of his body feel very tired. He remembered that he'd been awake since the night before. He went out into the court yard, and brushed and fed Starlight. He took the saddle, stone sword, and his knapsack into their room. He fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed.

        Caden woke up in the middle of the night. Someone was taking his boots off. He looked up and saw a figure moving in the dim light. He squinted, and in the shadows saw a woman moving around the room. He rolled over and pulled the blanket over his head.

        The next morning, Caden woke up after Rilyn was already up and out of the room. He walked over to the dresser where there was a pitcher and bowl. He poured the cold water into the bowl and washed his face. Then he opened the window and dumped it outside. He put his boots on and walked out of the room into the courtyard.

        Caden found Rilyn eating in the common room. "Have fun last night?" Caden sat down.

        "What do you mean?" Rilyn ate a bowl of pumpkin porridge.

        "I woke up last night. I saw that you brought Cassy back to our room."

        "I think you are confused," Rilyn said. He took a sip from a steaming mug. "It was only us in the room last night."

        "What ever, I know what I saw."

        Cassy walked up and gave Caden a bowl of porridge and a steaming mug. She was dressed more conservatively that morning.

        "The guards said they didn't know who the Dragon Knights were." Caden took a bite of porridge. "What's up with that," he said with his mouth full."

        "Cover your mouth, you barbarian."

        Caden swallowed. "Sorry."

        "After you went to bed last night, I asked around. It seems they're called the King's Knights around here." Rilyn looked around the room and leaned across the table. "And I wouldn't say anything about the Dragon Queen here, either," he said in a soft whisper.

        Rilyn and Caden looked out the front window. A loud commotion of people were walking past. They both heard the crowd shouting, "Witches!"

Chapter 4: The Death of Erdon

        The town of Erdon was gone. Some buildings remained, and parts of other buildings still stood. But most of the buildings were gone, replaced by deep holes and long hollows. Caden walked into town along the main road. The children huddled around him. The streets were deserted. 

        Caden couldn't figure out what happened. There was no smoke, no fire. The buildings were just gone. Long deep hollows cut through the ground, and when they passed through a building, that part of the building was gone. There was no debris or anything else left.

        The Dragon Queen roared in the distance. The children cried and grabbed Caden. Caden lifted the stone sword, it was getting heavy again. "Don't worry," he told the children. "We'll just go to the temple. The Five Sages will protect us there." Caden said a silent prayer for the temple to still be there. 

        The temple still stood. Caden and the children walked towards the sacred gate. The deep hollows lead up to the temple, then stopped. The gardens around the temple were untouched. 

        The Dragon Queen roared. Caden looked back. It was flying straight for them. It's massive black wings blocking out the midmorning sun. It's mouth opened, and a ball of black darkness formed. Everything around it was stretched and distorted, like it was consuming the very light around it. The ball stretched into a streak. It struck the ground and the ground vanished, leaving a deep hollow as it approached.

        Caden and the children ran for the sacred gate. One child tripped and fell. Caden heard him crying. "Keep running!" He told the children. He stopped and looked back. The black streak hit the child, and the crying stopped. The child was gone, and the black streak closed in on Caden. 

        The town was huddled inside the temple. Mother's cried over their missing children. The men were gathered at the entrance. They held tools and poles, anything that would pass for a weapon. Mayor Silverthorn stood in the middle of them.

        "Have you found anymore survivors?" asked Thadeus.

        Max, the barber, closed his razors. "No, everyone seems to be here already, or they're missing."

        Caden's father didn't have anything for a weapon. "I saw what that darkness does to people," he said. "Anyone not in here, is dead."

        "Your son hasn't been seen since last night," Thadeus said. "Maybe he wasn't in town."

        "What about Sir Eric?" Max asked. "He was trained to slay dragons."

        Caden's father shook his head. "I asked around. He was in the tavern when it got hit."

        "Then we only have one choice," said Harron. "We have to bring back the old ways."

        "No, we are not going back to that," said Thadeus. "Who would we sacrifice?"

        "A lottery. Just like they did back then." The old men looked at each other.

        "I'll never approve of such a thing," said Thadeus. "The Dragon Knights were here yesterday. They couldn't have gone far. If someone can fetch them, they'll return with an army." Thadeus looked at each man, daring them to disagree with him. "We're safe inside the temple."

        "But who will we send?" asked Harron.

        The doors opened. Everyone in the temple looked. 

        "I'll go," said Caden. He was dirty and bloody. His green tunic was torn and stained. The children huddled behind him.

        The crying children ran to their mothers. Keilee saw Caden and ran to him. "Caden!" she called. He walked past her. She stopped and watched him pass to some mothers who were looking for their kids in the group.

        Caden dropped his head. "I'm sorry."

Chapter 3: Darkness

        Caden squinted, then blinked. He stood in absolute darkness. He couldn't see his own hands. Yet he saw three shapes coming at him. Somehow, they looked darker then total darkness. Caden watched them move. They took slow and steady steps. 

        The first one moved faster. It closed the ten foot gap in an instant. Caden stepped back. A line of fire was drawn across his stomach. He touched the hole in his tunic and felt the warm wetness spreading.

        It moved again. Caden ducked. The steel sword rang when it hit against stone. Crack. A large object fell on Caden. The shape moved again. Caden smelled herbs and dried flowers. Clank. The steel sword bounced off the heavy object on Caden's back.

        He touched it. The stone was rough. It had ridges carved into it's round surface. Lower, the round shape became flat. It was a statue's stone sword.

        Clank. The steel sword bounced off of the stone one. The other two shapes where standing back. They waited for the first to move. Caden grabbed the stone sword in both hands. He screamed as he lifted the sword onto his shoulder, then flipped it over. 

        The sword came down at the dark shape. It moved. The stone sword hit the steel sword. The weight was too great and knocked the steel sword to the ground. The black shape fell under the sword and disappeared. 

        Caden couldn't see it anymore. The next shape rushed at him. Caden spun around, dragging the stone sword in a circle. The stone sword scrapped against the floor. Caden lifted the sword up and spun it around in time to catch the second dark shape in the midsection. It hit the wall and disappeared.

        Before he could recover, the third shape was on top of him. It moved, and Caden brought the sword up. The steel sword bounced off of the stone one. The tip was caught in the corner between the floor and the wall. Caden held the handle up, and knelt under the blade. 

        The third one attacked faster then the first. Caden's arm was tired from the weight of the stone and the force of the impact. But the attacks were too fast. He didn't have time to do anything between strikes.

        Clank. "One, two, three," Caden counted. Clank. "One, two, three." Clank. "One, two, three." Clank.

        "One, two." Caden rolled back. He lowered the handle, but held onto it. The shape struck, missed, and fell forward. Caden lifted the sword up and smashed it in the face. It stumbled back. Caden ran forward and put his shoulder into it. It fell down. He used his shoulder for leverage and flipped the sword onto the dark shape on the floor.

        It disappeared. Caden dropped the stone sword. 

        He couldn't see anything. He felt along the wall until he found a torch bracket. He fumbled with a flint and small knife. Eventually, he got the sparks to land on the oil drenched rag, and the torch burned. He turned to look for his attackers. When he saw them, he fell to the ground and vomited.

        He knew these men. One was Max the Barber's son, his head was crushed down the middle. The one against the wall, almost cut in half, was the woodcutter's brother. And the third, laying on it's back with the stone sword on top of him, was the blacksmith's only son.

        Only, they were already dead. They were the three dead Dragon Knights which Father Coteson honored at the the funeral earlier that day. Straw and preservative herbs had fallen from their bodies and was scattered across the floor.

        Caden stood up. He grabbed the stone sword. It didn't feel as heavy as it did before. The torch flickered. Caden looked at it. It flickered again, moving the way he had come from. He took the torch from the bracket, and held it up in front of the first two passages. It burned steady. But when he held it before the third passage, it flickered again.

        Caden walked down the third passage. He carried the stone sword over his shoulder. He followed the draft till he got outside.

Chapter 3: And a party

        Lanterns hung on ropes, illuminating the town square. Musicians played while people gathered. Caden's father set out his donation of meat pies and honey rolls. Thadeus Silverhorn, Erdon's elven mayor, walked up to the table and selected a honey roll. "Evening Caden, how's that boy of yours?"

        "Absent minded as ever." Caden's father sighed. "All he ever thinks about are the Dragon Knights. I wish he was more dedicated like your daughter."

        "Ha! Samaelus isn't dedicated to anything." Thadeus shakes his heads. "You know how kids are, last decade, she wanted to be a tailor, this decade she wants to be a baker. Next she'll want to be a painter or musician."

        "Well, she can stay my apprentice as long as she likes. I might even give her the bakery someday."

        "Remember, she may look like an adult." Thadeus put a hand on Caden's father's shoulder. "But she's more of a kid then your boy."

        "Sam!" Caden called into her room. "What do you think looks better?" Caden walked into Sam's room holding a red tunic and a blue one.

        Sam looked up from her dresser. She's half dressed, yet neither of them notice. "I was thinking that maybe you could wear this one." She pulled out a deep green tunic with silver dragons embroidered on the shoulders.

        "Wow, that's perfect, Sam." Caden took the shirt from her. "Where did you get it?"

        "I made it." She selected a dress from her wardrobe. "It matches the dress I made for my self."

        "I guess I'm lucky you had the extra fabric." Caden walked out the door.

        "Caden!" He stopped. "I've been living off the kitchen, and working for your father for a while now."

        "Yeah, like 7 harvests."

        "Actually, it's been nine," she said. "But that's not important! I was thinking, it's almost your 16th harvest, maybe we don't have to go alone tonight."

        "Oh, I won't. Keilee agreed to go with me." Caden holds up the green shirt. "Thanks for your help." Caden heads back to his room.

        Caden arrived at the town square with Keilee at his side. She wore a dusty orange dress. They walked to the tables of food and drink. Sir Eric stumbled past them, and drew another mug of shine. Caden looked around and saw the stranger. He was sitting off to the side, watching the party.

        "What do you think his problem is?"

        "Who?" Keilee asked.

        "Sir Eric! All he does is drink and talk bad about his fellow Dragon Knights."

        "Dad says he's lucky to be alive."

        "Why is that?"

        "He was discharged from the Dragon Knights for some injury. He came back here to die, but when he recovered, the king honored his service by granting him some of our land."

        "That's what I mean. He should be more grateful."

        "Maybe it's what the Dragon Knights do."

        "What's that mean?"

        "Look around you."

        Caden looked around at the gathered people. There were women every where. But the men were older then his father, or his age and younger. Most of the apprentices in the town were women, even the blacksmith was training his own daughter to take over the forge in a few years.

        "If the Dragon Knights keep taking away the men," Keilee said, "only to bring them back in boxes..." She shook her head. "This town is going to die soon."

        "You starting to sound like Sir Eric. It's an honor when they choose us to join them."

        "Maybe, but this town needs more people like you." A tear ran down her cheek. "They want strong men like my brother."

        "Hey, I'm strong, and I get stronger everyday."

        "The Dragon Knights aren't going to choose you. Everyone sees it, you're the one person we can rely on always coming home."

        "You know what, forget it." Caden walked away.

        "Caden, wait!" Keilee stood. "I didn't mean it like that."

        "I'm going to become one of them, and I'll return a hero."

Chapter 3: Funeral

        "And let us praise the heavenly Goddess," Father Coteson of Blackwood raised his hands to the ceiling of the temple. "For while the Dragon Knights lost three of their own, they were able to find three new Knights to join their most holy of quests." Father Coteson dropped his hands in a sweeping motion toward the Stained glass windows depicting the five sages sealing away the Dragon Queen. The cloth of his vestments flowed around him. "Let them be honored and praised, for these are great tidings."

        The crowd repeats, "Honored and praised."

        "Yet one does not honor the sacrifice of the great sages," Father Coteson said as he folded his hands, "who died on this very spot." He looked out at the gathered faced. "The man who should honor this sacred hour above everyone else, can be found at the bottom of a mug." Father Coteson struck his hand out fast enough for his sleave to snap. It echoed in the silent temple. "Fear not! For I say this now! The heavenly goddess is sending forth a sword this very night! And she shall cut down the wicked and purge our town."

         A murmur spread through the crowd.

        Father Coteson folded his hands. "Show your devotion. Don't follow in his example. Stay home with your family tonight." He bowed his head. "So is the will of the gentle and merciful goddess."

        Everyone in the crowd looked around. A few scattered voices called out, "So is the will."

        "Now, let us pray for the dead."

        As the temple bells rang, Caden ran to the temple doors. He was the first one there, and held them open for Father Coteson. He smiled. "The goddess will reward you, my son."

        Caden continued to hold the door open as the townsfolk drifted out. Father Coteson bid people fair well in the temple garden. Caden watched as everyone left. He grabbed Keilee by the elbow as she walked out with her father.

         Harron looked at Caden, and smiled. "Don't worry, m'boy. In two harvests, you'll be able to make this town proud."

         Keilee rolled her eyes and looked away.

         "I'll do my best, Sir."

        Harron mussed Caden's hair. He walked over to speak with Father Coteson. His wife and other four daughters followed him. 

        "Cay--Den," Keilee smiled, "what do you want?"

        "Um." Caden looked at the crowd filing out of the church. "You see. I was wondering."

        "Yes?"

        "Do you want to go to the town social with me tonight?!" A couple people stopped as they left the temple, they laughed and walked away. Caden's cheeks burned red.

        "I don't know." Keilee looked at her sisters. "I think there are a couple of girls who saw you first." 

        Caden looked at her sisters next to their father. They saw him looking, so turned away and giggled. "They're too young for me."

        "The twins are the same age as you."

        "I don't want to go with them, I want to go with you."

        Keilee smiled. "Why is that?"

        "Because. You know... You're the prettiest, and stuff."

        "Okay."

        "Really?" Caden looked straight into her eyes. She just smiled and nodded.

Chapter 2: Three return, and three depart

        Everyone gathered in the town square. In the center, parked next to the fountain, were the Dragon Knights. Four had large shields that reached from their shoulders to their ankles. The shields bore the Dragon Knight coat of arms, a Serpent, coiled around a sword. It's mouth wide and striking at the tip. Their breast plates shone on top of the black chain mail underneath. The fifth was a general, he wore a red cape with a silver dragon clasp, concealing his armor and weapons. 

        The general stepped in front of the crowd. "All able bodied men, over 17 harvests, step forward and line up."

        Men kissed their wives and loved ones as they walked forward. Caden's father left his side to join the line of men. Caden waited in the crowd, then rushed forward to join the line. His father looked down at him. 

"What are you doing?" he asked.

        "I'm joining them."

        "You're too young, now get..."

        "No talking in the ranks," yelled one of the Knights. "You shall remain quite, until such a time as the general speaks to you."

        Caden's father looked down at him, and scowled. Caden smiled and stood straight and rigid.

        The general walked down the row of men, inspecting each one and dismissing him. He stopped in front of Caden's father. "You're too old. You're excused." He returned to the crowd as the general looked down at Caden. "How old are you."

        "17 harvests sir."

        Two swords swept out from under the general's cape. Crossed right above the handle, their edges rested on opposite sides of Caden's neck. "In the Dragon Knights, lying to a general is punishable by immediate execution." Caden swallows. The swords cut into his neck. A trickle of blood ran down his shirt. "Care to answer again?"

        "17 harvests."

        "Good thing you're not a Dragon Knight." The swords disappear under the general's cape. "You're too young. Dismissed."

        "I can fight. I've been..."

        "You got guts kid." The general smiled. "But it takes a lot more then that to survive out there. Go home." 

        The general walked down the line, dismissing more men. He accepted two before he reached Damion. He looked at the carved sword under his belt. "What? Are you a kid? Playing with a toy sword?"

        "No, I've been training."

        "Have you now?" The general leaned in close, "And what good will knowing how to swing around a stick do for you?"

        "Try me, and you'll see." Damion smirked at him.

        The general stood up. "Jonas, show this boy why we only train with real swords."

        Jonas stepped forward and drew his sword. Damion did the same. The stared at each other. Finally Jonas charged and attacked. Damion blocked every strike, and pieces of his sword were cut off. Jonas struck at his head. Damion stepped aside and struck his sword against Jonas's. The sword cut off the tip leaving a sharp stake. Damion put his shoulder into the shield and knocked Jonas to the ground. Damion landed on him, pinning him under the shield. He placed the stake at Jonas's neck.

        The general laughed. "Okay, you can come." He turned to the crowd. "Everyone else, you're excused."

        The crowd departed and returned to their lives. Damion waved to Caden as he joined the Knights by their wagon. Harron walked up to his son and shook his hand. "I'm proud of you, boy."

Chapter 2: Bring out your dead

        Caden was walking away from the woodcutter, when he heard the dull clang of an iron bell. He looked down the street and saw everyone stopping their business. With each clang, more people froze and turned away from the street.

        Caden turned away. He didn't need to look when the wagon rolled behind him. He knew who they were, and why they had come. "That's why you should give up your dreams," said Sir Eric. Caden looked up. Sir Eric was walking to the Tavern, in complete disrespect to the dead Dragon Knights of Erdon village being escorted to the Temple. The stranger was following him, leaning on a crutch. He wore a brown poncho with a collar that stood up, covering half of his face. A wide brimmed hat sat on his fiery red hair. Caden had never seen red hair before.

        He turned back and lowered his head. He still wanted to join them, and that meant always respecting their traditions. He stood and waited. Listening to the repeating clang. Waiting for it to fade, and eventually stop when they reached the temple. He waited with everyone in town, except for Sir Eric and the stranger.

        As the market returned to normal, Caden ran through the streets to catch up with Sir Eric and the stranger. A hard object struck his ankle. He fell to the ground hard, his face sliding into the dirt. He looked up to see Damion, Harron's eldest. "What was that for?"

        "I need a sparing partner, I don't want to end up like those stiffs at the temple." Damion bounced a wooden sword on his shoulder. It was carved to look like the Dragon Knights' swords, five hands long, straight, single edge, and no handguard. "If I look good enough, maybe the knights will take me with them. And who to look better next to then a scrawny kid."

        "Not now Damion." Caden stood up. "I'm trying to figure out who the stranger is."

       "They're called the Dragon Knights. Maybe you've heard of them? Defenders of the kingdom, slayers of dragons?"

       "Not them." Caden ran off, leaving Damion to stare after him.

        Caden leaned in close to the chimney. He could hear Sir Eric's voice drifting up from his usual table next to the fireplace.

        "... you should tell your people your name is Rilyn. It won't sound as foreign to them," Sir Eric's voice drifted up the chimney.

        "Why are you helping me?" asked Rilyn.

       "I owe it to your family."

        "I don't have a family... not anymore.

       "Trust me, I know all about..."

       "Caden!" yelled his father. "Get down from there. The town is gathering in the square."

        Caden climbed off the roof. He knew one thing, the stranger and Sir Eric wouldn't be gathering.