Chapter 28

"Where are we going?"

"We have to tell Frederick about this."

"What if Arthur just attacks us again?"

"Then that's a fight he's going to lose."

Her tone left no room for argument, but he would feel better when the immediate danger was passed.

The two headed down stairs and into the great hall again. Frederick was there, along with some staff members, and Arthur. It seemed they'd been fixing up the floor. Well, that explained why there hadn't been a gaping hole in the ceiling while Pride was in the dungeon.

The floor was back together, but the alchemy work was sloppy, leaving clear transmutation marks, and the other servants were currently reinforcing the floor. Clearly Arthur's specialty was oxygen, and not much else.

"Lord Frederick!" the Doctor shouted. The tone was a little mocking, but the Doctor pressed on before Frederick could really comment on it. "There's a little something you should know! Why don't you tell him Selim?"

Arthur suddenly looked like he'd rather be anyplace else.

Pride tried not to burst into a grin. Envy took the most pleasure in making humans fight each other. By a landslide. Pride always found humans too boring and predictable to take that kind of joy out of it. But all the homunculi had done so at some point or another, to carve the crests of blood. It was something he was good at. And right now he couldn't deny this was great.

"Arthur kidnapped me!" Pride exclaimed, stepping partially behind the Doctor and making his voice tremble. This was the easiest he'd slipped into his act in . . . possibly years. "He said he was going to learn circle-less alchemy to overthrow Lord Frederick. He-he tried to kill me when I wouldn't tell him."

Technically, Pride had fought back before Arthur tried to kill him, but as he'd suspected, everyone was too busy with the accusations for Arthur to correct him.

"You've done what?" Frederick admonished, rounding on Arthur.

"I've done no such thing sir."

"Yes he did!" Pride actually stomped his foot. "Merek saw! He can tell you! And then he locked me up with that dragon. He could tell you too."

"You involved a dragon in this? Going down to him is extremely dangerous for all us!" Frederick shouted.

"Arthur has always had some negative views towards you my Lord," Peter said, practically leaping at the chance to tell on Arthur.

"That is not true," Arthur said, though he'd backed up slightly. "I always serve you well. I helped you contain that dragon, didn't I? Haven't I always done as you instructed?"

"That doesn't mean much," Frederick said.

"Should I get Merek?" Peter asked.

The Doctor dropped to Pride's level. "Let's go," she whispered. "We should tell Ethron he can get out of here."

She started away. Pride followed. Her plan had done the trick so far. None of the humans noticed them leave.

They quickly went down the stairs to the dungeon, the Doctor taking one of the huge torches off the wall without breaking her stride. Well, at least Pride could see this time. It became clear how this space was really too small for a dragon. Ethron's head and tail were coiled tightly around his body. When he moved his head to look at them, it was by lifting it and scraping it against the ceiling.

Pride couldn't make out the words being said upstairs, but he could hear the muffled voices.

"You've returned," Ethron said.

"Yes, we have," the Doctor agreed. "And I want you to leave now. Selim and I can help you escape."

When did I sign up for this?

Ethron tilted his head. "And go where? I have no home."

"Do you really want to stay here? These people have treated you horribly, but you could make a home for yourself someplace else. There are places you can be happy. I could even help. I travel around a lot."

Ethron was silent for a moment, staring at the Doctor with his orange, faintly glowing, eye. It wasn't the easiest to read, but Pride got the feeling he had already come to a conclusion and waited a little longer for dramatic effect.

"That may be," Ethron agreed. "But these people will suffer first."

"What? No, no wait," the Doctor said.

Ethron didn't wait. He brought his head back up through the ceiling, spraying flames everywhere as he went. Above, Pride could see Arthur scramble for his alchemy scroll, but the distraction had worked a little too well, and all the humans clearly needed more time. Ethron brought his wide jaws to Arthur, going over his head.

Suddenly the Doctor was angling Pride back to the stairs.

"Come on," she urged. "We need to get back up there."

Had she just tried to censor that death? It was a little late for that. Though seeing as Ethron had almost certainly snapped Arthur in half, it was probably the messiest death so far.

They reached the top of the stairs. Sure enough, just about everything flammable was on fire. Except some of the people. Frederick and Peter had hid behind a flipped table.

The Doctor moved towards them, sliding behind the table as well.

"Hey! We need to get Ethron out of here."

"The dragon? I noticed, thank you!" Frederick shouted back.

"About time," the Doctor muttered.

"If you've got a suggestion, I'm open to it!"

"Yes, I've got an idea. I've always got an idea. This is a normal castle, right? With defenses under the gate?"

Frederick frowned, but nodded.

"Great. Take me to them."

"Take her to them," Frederick ordered Peter.

Peter nodded, looking rather pale. He grabbed the Doctor's hand. She slipped out of his grip, but followed him as he started down the hall.

"Selim, stay with Frederick," the Doctor instructed. "You'll be safer there."

That was . . . seriously debatable. But Ethron ignored him and Frederick for a moment, shooting flames down the hall after the Doctor, so maybe she had a point. It was a good thing Ethron's lower half was still in the dungeon. Pride could hear his tail thumping around down there.

Ethron stretched out both wings, which hit the table and sent it, and the two people, flying. Pride slammed into the wall. He saw Ethron turning around. He got the distinct feeling the dragon would succeed before him and Frederick were back up.

Merek appeared in the doorway. He launched himself on top of Ethron and tried to stab him in the eye. Ethron closed that eye and shook his head, causing Merek to fly off into a burning table.

But at this point both Pride and Frederick had gotten up. Pride glanced at the man and started moving in the opposite direction. Ethron could only hit one of them after all, and Pride was pretty sure he knew who it would be.

Sure enough Ethron swung his head towards Frederick. His mouth opened and an orange color lit up in the back. Then, just as the flames came out, they died. Water hit the fire, and Ethron's open mouth, steam going everywhere.

Ethron shook his head and looked up. Pride and Frederick did too. The Doctor and Peter were above them, large cauldron in hands.

"I told you," the Doctor said. "That's enough."

[I edited this chapter on my phone, so you'll have to excuse some issues. Don't write stories on your phone.]