A LEGACY OF LIGHT

LERESY

LERESY

Leresy stood frozen, holding his new wife's hands.

"The Resistance!" Tilla was shouting from the walls, waving her arms. "We're under attack!"

Leresy blinked. He could not move.

He looked up. His father met his eyes, then shifted into a golden dragon and flew. Shari too took flight, a blue dragon blowing fire. The axehands shifted as well, and hundreds of dragons rose. Roars and thuds of wings filled the air.

Leresy could not move. He only stood, clutching Nairi's hands.

"Are we... married yet?" he said.

Nairi snarled and pulled her hands free.

"Damn it, Leresy!" she shouted, shifted into a dragon, and took flight.

"The Resistance attacks!" Lord Herin Blackrose was shrieking, circling above the courtyard, a wrinkled dragon with no scales. "Axehand--battle formations, surround the emperor!"

Leresy looked to his right. Nairi was flying above the walls, shouting for her phalanx.

"Black Rose--behind me! Assault formation, shift, fly!"

The hundred soldiers of her phalanx, Tilla among them, took flight as dragons. Thousands of the other legionaries were doing the same, grouping around their own commanders.

Leresy cursed, shifted too, and flew.

He had no phalanx of his own. He was not sure where to go. He soared higher than the others, so high that the thin air spun his head, and stared east. He saw the enemy there, and he snarled.

"The Resistance," he hissed.

Thousands of them flew from the east, roaring and blasting fire. They wore no dragonhelms or armor. They were feral beasts, unwashed and wild. They flew in no formations, but as a single rabble, howling and wreathed in flame.

Fear--stabbing, pulsing, all-consuming--washed over Leresy.

"Death to Cadigus!" the resistors were howling. "Slay the emperor and his children!"

They're coming to kill me, Leresy thought, staring at the horde. His wings shook. His smoke blasted uncontrollably. Oh stars, they're coming to slay me upon the walls of my fort.

Tears stung his eyes, and fire flared inside him, and Leresy soared higher.

"Into the barracks!" he howled at his troops. "Retreat! Retreat into the halls, lock the doors, man the walls! Defend this cast--"

His father roared, soared from below, and slammed into him.

The blow knocked the breath out of Leresy. He tumbled, and his father cudgeled him with his tail. Lersey spun in the air, fell a hundred feet, and barely righted himself.

"Assault formations!" Frey Cadigus shouted to the troops around him, his voice deep and steady. "Axehand--man the walls and await my orders. Dragon Legions--prepare for aerial battle. I will lead the charge."

The phalanxes began to take formation. These dragons had been soldiers for only several hours, but had trained well enough to form ranks quickly. Frey flew to their lead, then looked over his shoulder at Leresy. Disgust filled the emperor's eyes.

"Go defend your castle," he said, then turned and began flying east. "To war! To glory! Dragon Legions, fly!"

Thousands of dragons howled and flew behind the emperor. Shari flew at her father's side, roaring flames. Nairi flew ahead of her phalanx, shouting orders. They charged over the forests toward the Resistance.

Leresy hovered in midair, panting and trembling.

Before him in the east, the two armies crashed with exploding fire and blood.

Leresy stared, jaw open.

He had never seen so much blood.

One of the resistors, a burly beast of chipped scales, flamed a young periva. The dragon screamed and returned to human form, flesh peeling. Another resistor, a black demon with flaming eyes, lashed his claws at another dragon; this dragon too returned to human form, clutched spilling entrails, and tumbled to the forest below.

Do you fly here too, Kaelyn? Twin sister, do you howl with this mob? Leresy's eyes stung. I always protected you, Kaelyn! When Father beat you, I always comforted you! Now you come to kill me?

Leresy could not breathe. He could barely flap his wings. He let out a howl--he meant it to be a battle cry, but it sounded more like a wail.

"The prince!" roared a burly, silver dragon missing his left horn. "Leresy Cadigus, there! Slay the prince!"

Hundreds of resistors looked up, eyes blazing and fire burning, and began to fly his way.

Leresy screamed, spun around, and began to flee.

"Axehand!" he shouted as he flew. "Into the barracks! Into the hall! Defend the gates--defend your prince!"

The sky burned. Howls shook the walls. Leresy screamed and panted and landed in the courtyard. He shifted into human form and ran, arms pumping, into the grand hall of Castra Luna.

"Axehand! Into the hall--defend your prince!" His voice cracked. "That is an order!"

Outside the doors, fires blazed, and thousands of wings hid the sky.

Leresy panted, fell backward, and felt warm liquid trickle down his leg.