Chapter 6: The Price of Redemption

        Rilyn sat up all night with Father Achilleos. They talked till the sun rose and Caden descended from the tower with the young woman behind him. Rilyn watched as they walked into the temple. Caden's face looked like it was carved from wax. He stood there, staring forward, not blinking. The woman kissed him on the cheek.

        "Thanks," she said. She walked out of the temple.

        "Well, looks like that worked out for the best," Father Achilleos said. He stood up, and took Rilyn by the hand. "Remember what I said. And come back to see me after you've finished your errand with the Dragon Knights. May the sages guide you on your journey."

        Rilyn walked over next to Caden. "What happened up there?"

       "I don't want to talk about it." Caden walked to the door. "Let's depart."

       Father Achilleos watched them leave. "That boy." Father Coteson walked to his study, and pulled an ancient book from the shelf.

I know this is by far the shortest post to date. Yet, I'm focusing on writing the important points of the chapter sections. And this was the focus of the section. Come back tomorrow for the start of Chapter 7.

Chapter 4: Save Erdon?

        Thadeus Silverthorn took Caden aside. "Caden, you're father doesn't want you to go, but I think you are the best choice."

        "Why?" asked Caden.

        "Do you have to ask? Or are happy that it gets you what you want."

        "I guess so." Caden looked around for Keilee. She had disappeared while he was talking to the mothers. "It just seems like no one else in this town thinks so."

        "I've been around long enough to see things most people miss." Thadeus put his hand on Caden's shoulder. "Now, tell me about how you saved the children."

        Harron held his daughter by the arm. She followed him, but continued to look up at the sky. Harron used the time that Thadeus was distracted by Caden to leave the temple unnoticed. They walked out to the town square. There was a large pole in the center of the town square, and Harron was glad that it still stood. Ropes with broken lanterns hung from the top. 

        Harron tied Keilee to the pole. "Why are you doing this?" she cried.

        "I'm sorry, but the scriptures are clear." He pulled the ropes tighter. "Before the Queen was sealed, we appealed her with female sacrifices. You are going to save the town."

        Rilyn was helping Sir Eric through town. He survived the dragon attack, but his right arm was caught in the blast. It vanished with the rest of the Tavern. Rilyn heard the screams and pulled Sir Eric out the backdoor as the building was destroyed by the dragon's attack.

        Sir Eric was lucky, he was already passed out from drinking too much. Yet Rilyn did not envy him waking up to finding his right arm missing. Rilyn watched Harron tie the girl up. He adjusted Sir Eric and left the square.

        Harron lit two fires, one on each side of Keilee. She just hung her head and cried.

        Rilyn carried Sir Eric into the temple. He placed him with the rest of the injured. Only a handful of people managed to survive being hit by the Dragon Queen's attack. Caden walked over to them.

        "It's good to see that you survived," said Caden. "I'd heard that Sir Eric died."

        "Not dead," said Rilyn. "But he's not lucky either." Rilyn laid a blanket over Sir Eric. "Who was that girl you were with last night?"

        Caden looked at Rilyn. "At the town social?"

        "Yea."

        "Her name's Keilee. I didn't think you would have noticed us."

        "Hmm... Well, Keilee is being tied to a post in town square right now."

        "What?" Caden looked around the room. He didn't see Keilee anywhere. Outside the Dragon Queen roared. Caden ran out of the temple.

        Caden reached the town square in time to see the Dragon Queen land. It crushed several buildings that were still standing. It's tail swept through the half destroyed remains of other houses. Keilee screamed. The Dragon Queen reached forward and grabbed her and the pole she was tied to. It snapped the pole.

        Caden ran at the dragon. It spread it's wings and flapped them. The wings sent gusts of wind down that blew Caden down. A few more flaps and it was airborne. The gusts knocked houses over. Caden stood back up and watched the Dragon Queen carry Keilee away.

        Keilee screamed Caden's name. He ran after her and the dragon till they disappeared into sky. He fell to the ground. Tears running down his face.

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."