Chapter Three

Herald Griffin stood at attention to the side of the throne Selenay sat in, listening to yet another petitioner asking for assistance with bandits to the west. He struggled to remain impassive, even as he felt himself slipping dangerously close to nodding off out of boredom. He silently began wishing something different would arise, even as Selenay began giving her responses. The Hall was drafty today, with drafts somehow finding a way in despite the staff's best efforts to the contrary.

Even the stoic palace guards were shivering a bit under their livery. The councilors stood to one side of the room, huddled together and whispering to one another. Griffin was amused to see that Dirk was actually using a wall tapestry as a shawl, wrapping himself partially in it and trying to remain un-noticed.

After a time, the line of petitioners shrank and Griffin was able to concentrate on the dinner soon to come. He preferred the duties of a field herald to court life, but he could understand why Selenay needed him here. With the bandits to the west, unexplained creatures to the east and the recent assassination attempts, his Firestarting talents had already proven extremely useful, and deadly to Valdemar's enemies.

He sighed silently. ::Feeling lonely again?:: His companion, Darla, asked in her quiet tone. She was extremely sensitive to his mood, and usually managed to cheer him easily, but with each use of his gifts lately the feeling grew more and more that even here among heralds he was separate from the group. Not through any fault of his friends, who loved him as much as any other herald, and saw only one more herald doing his best for Valdemar, but simply by the sheer responsibility of his gift.

He thought again of Lavan Firestorm, and swallowed. He knew only too well the Dragon spoken of in the Chronicles – the secret chronicles which he had been shown during his training. The feeling of fury and power that threatened to overwhelm him each time he loosed his gift against another living being was a bitter taste in Griffin's mouth, but with Darla's help, and his friends' care, he shouldered the burden and struck out against the enemies he was forced against.

::No more so than usual. I just want this audience to end so we can get into warmer clothing and stop listening to chatter about land disputes and school financing.:: He was about to lean down to offer a comment to Selenay who had just murmured a question to him, when a sound broke across the chamber that stopped every heart there.

Three long haunting tones rang out, seeming to last through one another, and continuing to echo across the faces of those gathered there. Griffin had only a moment to recognize the Death Bell before the vision flashed into his mind.

The huge figure was standing over him, sword raised to strike, eyes flashing in the darkness. The armor was black, with jagged spikes and edges. The view spun, and behind him he saw the crumpled form of a companion lying motionless on the ground. His eyes were burning, tears streaming down his cheeks, and he turned back to see the figure laugh. Then he felt rage build, as though it were outside of him but carrying him along in its wake, and the familiar feeling of the Dragon roaring to be free.

Flames burst into being at his fingertips as he reached up towards the blade which began slowly swinging down towards him. Everything slowed as the flames shot out to meet the blade, and the metal exploded, molten drops of steel flying backwards into the figure, who cried out and flung up his arm to guard his helmed face. Then he tore his helm off as the fire spread over the armor itself. Griffin felt sick as he recognized the man behind the helm as Herald Thallick, assigned to the northwest sector. The flames tore over him and in a moment nothing remained but the echoes of screams.

The view twisted once more, and centered on the fallen companion, who now had another companion standing over it. With a shock Griffin saw that although the new companion was injured, its stance and the blood on its legs marked it as the attacker of the fallen companion! The fury was nearly out of control at this point, and the companion laid its ears back and began slowly stepping forward, but flames were now twirling in the air, and soon obscured everything—

Griffin snapped back to himself with a nearly audible snap, and saw as he recovered that every herald present was doing the same. His mind struggled to make sense of what he had seen. Companion attacked companion, a herald in armor killed by a firestarter? Selenay turned towards him, the question clear on her lips, when another sound followed the death bell – that of dozens of companions screaming. Darla's mind voice was full of emotion so turbulent he couldn't tell whether she was angry, afraid or mourning. ::Cymry and Skif have been attacked!::

Every herald in the room immediately burst to their feet and began running full speed out of the chamber towards the road. The councilors and petitioners shrank back, eyes wide, wondering what was happening. As they came out to the road, they saw a lone companion galloping directly towards the palace, with guards and more heralds in pursuit. It took a moment before Griffin could see Skif draped over her back, swathed in gray rags.

Keren reached them first and immediately pulled Skif from the saddle, then began running towards the Healer Hall, carrying Skif as though he weighed nothing. Talia followed, her eyes dim and tears flowing like tiny crystal rivers in the moonlight. Elspeth and Darkwind threw their arms around Cymry and tried to calm her and comfort the poor companion, but the rage and anger was so strong even Griffin could hear her mindspeech. ::The Empire! The Empire has sent agents; they have been using spells and are controlling people! The entire town has gone crazy!:: Her words became less coherent and more desperate, and Selenay led her off to the companion field where the other companions crowded around her.

When Selenay walked back over, her expression was grim. "If the Empire has resurfaced, and has already taken at least one town of Valdemar, we have much work to do. An emergency council will need to be held immediately. Griffin, please summon the council and make sure the kitchen has something for us. We're going to be a while."

She walked off, leaving Griffin to wonder who the firestarter had been.

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