Based on characters from Fablehaven© by Brandon Mull. The original characters and plot details are my property. No copyright infringement intended.
The horn-like spike sat in the middle of the floor aged and crumbling. On the table lay the scale still looked shiny but it too was aged. They were definitely identifiable.
"Most of the dragon was gone. Predators had removed most of the flesh and bones of the body. We only took these because it would prove that we found a dragon's body. Seth and I recognized the spike. Raxtus has a similar one, though smaller, so we brought it with us." Bracken described the scene. "We also brought the heart scale."
"The heart scale?" Stan looked at them curiously.
"Scales littered the floor but I knew that it was the most certain way of identifying the death of a dragon," Leander told him. "Dragons don't give up their heart scales and there is only one way to get one – from the dead body. To bring any other scales was just more stuff to carry."
"I had Hugo bury the rest; he caused a caved-in. There was nothing else to find there," Bracken said ending any debate before it started. "We also have photos."
"I guess I will arrange for you to take this to Celebrant," Stan conceded. "Are you sure it is Axezeles?" he asked Bracken.
"Yes, the color, though faded, is right and the uniqueness of the spike. I have no doubt we found the body of Axezeles," Bracken affirmed. "But it will be up to Celebrant to make the final identification."
"Are you going with Bracken, Leander?" he asked.
"No. I am staying here to continue my search for Raxtus. They don't need me and I still haven't found evidence that he has left the sanctuary. Until I find that or his body, I will continue to search," he said. "That's what I'm being paid to do. Glad I could help find this though."
"Seems like you're finding everything but what you came here for; kidnapped women, scales, several trolls, now dragon remains," Ruth said impressed with the find.
"Seems that way doesn't it," he agreed.
"How do you feel after all the moving around today?" Mrs. Larsen asked him.
"My leg hurts. Everything else is sore but okay," he answered truthfully.
"I'll check you over when we are done here," she told him.
"Thanks." Leander replied.
"I would like to take Kendra, Seth and Unleea with me," Bracken said. "I may need their special skills in Wyrmroost. Something strange happened to this dragon and I don't know what I might run into. They may be able to help Celebrant and me with the mystery. Besides I need help carrying these and the table back to him also."
Later that evening Mrs. Larsen removed the stitches from below Leander's eye and on his scalp. The stitches in the deep gash on his leg needed to remain in place for a few more days.
Leander proposed a non-dangerous job for him to do while Seth was gone. He would be looking for traces of Raxtus just outside of the sanctuary's protective spell. It was a safe enough job since nothing hazardous would be outside the sanctuary. It could take him over a week to walk the perimeter of the sanctuary. Armed with a map and his GPS he would follow the invisible but very real border of Fablehaven.
Two days later with the stitches removed from his leg, he packed his backpack with his gear, clothes, food and water. He took a sleeping bag and small one-man tent for his long trek through the woods surrounding Fablehaven. In the company of his parents, Seth generously gave Leander a supply of walrus butter since he wouldn't have access to fresh milk. They watched him walk off the preserve and down the dirt road.
Leander walked until he came to a turn in the road. He turned the corner, crossed the road and concealed himself from possible prying fairy eyes. He dropped his pack on the backside of a tree and disappeared. He returned unseen to the house and Seth's room.
Celebrant's reply finally came and they made preparations to fly to the nearest local airport to Wyrmroost and arranged for a sanctuary helicopter to take them to the closest drop off to the protected sanctuary.
Three days later an invisible Leander entered Wyrmroost between Seth and Kendra. Although they couldn't feel it he was holding on to them skin on skin. Seth kept both Leander and Kendra calm, magical fear, even dragonfear didn't affect them. The connection with Kendra allowed both Seth and Leander to follow her through the Wyrmroost distractor spell.
Seth and Unleea were shade sharing, Maeve knew she was going and why. Unleea would get a fairylight boost, supposedly from Bracken but actually from Kendra, when they were in a safe place where she could reappear. She and Seth were going to shade walk around to see if they could find out who was behind the murder of Raxtus' siblings and the attempt on Axezeles' life.
Leander was going to listen and search also. Between the three of them, they felt sure they would overhear if there were someone shocked or pleased that they found the body of Axezeles. They would then follow them and listen to any conversations. Leander had potions that would keep the dragonfear from affecting him for hours but he wouldn't take one until he had to separate from Seth.
Bracken was carrying a large bag over his shoulder, Kendra and Seth each carried a backpack.
When the Keep's guardian met them at the entrance, he let Bracken and the others go on their way, knowing that they were expected, knew their way and they didn't need an introduction.
The stone walls echoed with their footsteps as they entered the dark keep. Kendra wasn't afraid since she was holding Seth's hand but she was sure the place was just as creepy as she had remembered it. They followed the main hall that went to the huge central room. Celebrant was there and so were a couple of other dragons, more or less filling the cavernous room. Kendra recognized the red and gold lion headed dragon as Agad's brother, Camarat.
"Celebrant," Bracken said loudly as they walked through a huge doorway. He bowed to Celebrant. Kendra and Seth followed his lead and also bowed but much lower.
"Prince Bracken," Celebrant greeted him with a regal head bow and barely nodded at the two adolescents beside him.
"We need to talk, in private," Bracken said to Celebrant.
"You have found my son?" he asked semi-curiously, the Fablehaven Caretaker had set up this meeting but had not told him what Bracken was going to tell him.
"No, but we have witnesses to another problem," Bracken said. "We need to discuss this in private."
"I have nothing to discuss with you if you haven't found my son or have news of his whereabouts," Celebrant dismissed them and turned away. He didn't want to chit-chat with the unicorn, in public or private.
Bracken shrugged and waved Seth forward. Kendra followed unwilling to let go of her brother's hand; likewise, Leander followed unseen. Bracken opened the flap of the pack on Seth's back and pulled out the crumbling pale blue spike. He sat it on the floor in front of them and they all stepped back.
Camarat, the first to see the spike, let out a surprised snarl and Celebrant turned back. All three dragons were incensed at the sight of the desiccated dragon's spike. There was a great stirring in the room as the three large dragons moved carefully around each other to get a better view of the distinctive spike.
The sight of three huge dragons getting closer to where they were standing made Kendra backup as far as she could and still maintain her grasp on Seth's arm. Even though she was not afraid, they were still very big and intimidating. She knew logically she was not even a mouthful for a dragon and one bite could end her life.
Celebrant gasped and a distressed growl rumbled deep in his chest. In a flash of blue light, he became human and keeping an eye on the spike, he strode menacingly up to Bracken.
"What is the meaning of this?" he asked quietly but viciously, his eyes flashing as he looked at him.
"We need to talk in private," Bracken stated again not intimidated by Celebrant's demeanor. Bracken knew that if Celebrant meant any of them harm he would have never invoked his avatar.
"I believe that may be so," he growled. He nodded curtly his expression remained menacing. He turned heading for a small human-sized door they hadn't noticed earlier.
"Hmm!" Bracken muttered curiously under his breath. He picked up the spike and placed it back in Seth's pack.
"Uh huh," Seth answered. Kendra and Leander remained clueless to their musings.
Celebrant entered the adjoining room leaving the door ajar. He was trembling with both anger and fear at what he had seen, he stood behind the door and watched as Bracken entered and the two children followed. When they all stood within the room, he slammed the door shut behind them.
Startled, they turned and Celebrant stood at the door.
"Where did you find that?" he asked his voice choked with anger and emotion. He felt as if his heart had been ripped out. He didn't know what to do as a man or a dragon. He hoped he was wrong and that it was some other dragon's spike.
"During our search for Raxtus we found a cave. In the cave we found the skeleton of a dragon and took the two identifying pieces with us - that spike," Bracken answered as he removed the spike from Seth's backpack again. "And this… heart scale." He pulled the scale from his jacket pocket.
The color and size of the scale made Celebrant's heart break. It was too large to be Raxtus' that left only one other. He had to look at it closely, had to know it wasn't what it looked like.
"No! No!" Celebrant loudly denied as he rushed up to Bracken and reached for the scale that resembled a familiar one in his memory. With one close look and touch, he realized it was true but he didn't want it to be.
Bracken held onto the scale.
"Are we safe from being seen in here?" he whispered to Celebrant. "I can guarantee we won't be heard but can you guarantee we can't be spied upon."
"That is why I invoked my avatar. It was the only way I could get into this room. This room is warded and safe against any spying," Celebrant said, emotions flavoring his words. "Tell me where? How?" he asked softly, caressing the scale. "I had always hoped this day would never come."
He shook his head miserably as Bracken released the scale into his insistent hand. His heart was completely broken.
Leander wanted to see if there was any dragonfear now that they were out of sight of any dragons and lightly lifted his hand from Seth's arm ready to grab him again if he needed to but there was none.
"It's safe here, you can let go of Seth," he whispered softly into Kendra's ear. She sighed, released her brother's hand and stood next to Bracken.
"All is not what it seems," Bracken declared. "We have witnesses that state that Navarog poisoned Axezeles with a sword cut and that all the eggs in your clutch were the target of assassination also. If the fairies had not acted, Raxtus would have been killed also."
"What? Who told you this?" Celebrant reeled at the news. In misery, he staggered back against the wall hugging the scale to his chest. He hated the overwhelming human emotions making him feel weak but this was horrifying news, and he should feel overwhelmed and emotionally devastated. Bracken came toward him and led him to a bench. He sank onto the seat afraid he would collapse with the terrible news – all of them, but Raxtus, murdered.
"I cannot reveal their identities just yet but we need to find out if someone here at Wyrmroost was involved. We know the Shadowmaster Kelmar was involved. He was someone's pawn and so was Navarog, but Navarog never took orders from just anyone.
"I knew you would want to have these here. We have respectfully treated her. I hoped by bringing the spike and scale here someone may reveal their treachery," Bracken continued. "Someone or some group was afraid of you fathering a frost dragon, especially a male."
Kendra watched as Celebrant stared miserably at the heart scale. It broke her heart to deceive him like this but he had to believe or he wouldn't take the right steps. He needed to be their lead in the search for the conspirators.
"How will we find these conspirators, these murderers?" he angrily asked Bracken.
"Seth is a shadow charmer and he has another shadow charmer with him. They will listen and search in the shadows. They are very good. He can also talk to the spirits in the Black well and get any information they have," Bracken explained.
Celebrant shook his head when he mentioned the Black well.
"The ones in the well know nothing. All they want is escape. They listen to no one. That is a dead end," Celebrant answered, looking up at Seth. "It is too dangerous to go there so I must insist that you avoid it."
"Yes, I will stay away from the well," he said walking up to Kendra and Bracken.
"Unleea it is time to come out now," Seth said as if it was her choice to appear not an effort of someone else. Kendra touched Seth's hand and reached the inch to Bracken's hand. Her fairylight glowed bright enough to eject Unleea from her shade share.
Unleea jumped up from the ground as if she had meant to do it that way. Kendra thought it looked professional. She was glad that they had practiced the move a few times.
She knew Leander was somewhere near but she had no idea where he was. She was still concerned about him, he was a dragon but he was vulnerable to dragonfear. He had specifically asked for courage potions so he could roam around the keep on his own. It didn't make sense to her. Gavin definitely hadn't been, Agad wasn't and Celebrant had shown no fear when he changed in the presence of Camarat and the other dragon. Why did Leander? Was he too human? Bracken was right, the spell may have changed him more than they thought.
"Celebrant this is Unleea, my fellow shadow charmer," Seth introduced her to him.
"She is very young," he told Seth. "You are very young," he addressed Unleea.
"Yes, I am but I am very talented. Close your eyes," she said.
He laughed but did it. She moved stealthily to the wall opposite him. They all watched her move and still could see her though they did not look at her.
"Find me – if you can," She whispered.
Celebrant opened his eyes. He scanned the room once, then twice. He got up and walked around the room, he walked right passed her and did not see her.
"She is still here?" he asked them.
"Yes, actually we can see her. But since you didn't see her move into the shadow you are blinded to her," Seth told him. "Unleea, good job!
"Thanks," she said and stepped forward into the bright light.
Celebrant spun around when her heard her voice, amazed that he had been within a few feet of her and had not seen her.
"I can see that you are truly prepared to seek out any culprits that may be here in the keep. You have my permission to search, sneak and listen to anything that might give you clues to the death of my mate and children.
"I am wondering if they might have also had something to do with Raxtus' disappearance. Though I suppose, since you are here, you have suspicions of your own. Find them, please," he appealed.
"We will try. First, you need to let it be known that we found the body of Axezeles so the rumor mills will start up," Seth said with confidence.
"Yes. I can see one problem though." Celebrant told them, looking with amazement at the four brave young people standing in front of him ready to take on this dangerous task.
"What is that?" Bracken asked.
"Dragons and the other denizens of this place will smell the shadow charmers. They might not know where they are but they will be cautious if they smell someone or something sneaking around.
"I do have a suggestion for neutralizing your odor. You won't like it but if you're going to get any information it is the only odor that is prevalent throughout the keep," Celebrant said thoughtfully.
Seth shuddered. He could see himself drenched in dragon pee and although he would do it, it made him gag at the thought.
"What would that be?" Kendra asked innocently. She knew anything noxious enough to fool a dragon would be gross. She was willing to laugh at or feel sorry for her brother, maybe a little of both.
"Sulfur," Bracken said nodding his head.
Seth sighed with relief. Kendra sighed because she didn't get to laugh at her brother.
"Yes," Celebrant confirmed. "Anything else would have a scent identifying the creature. The wrong creature smell in the wrong place would be just as dangerous," he added. "Bracken, I will need help with the spell. If you assist it will be mixed and be more neutral. If I were to cast by myself the sulfur may have an identifying smell to it."
Bracken and Celebrant cast their spells mixing the two sulfurs together. The smell of sulfur filled the room.
Kendra began to cough and choke on the fumes and her eyes burned. She headed for the door not knowing if anyone else was having trouble also.
"Wait!" Leander whispered in her ear, stifling his own cough. "You will ruin it if you open the door too soon."
"I can't breathe," she coughed, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"It won't last long," He reassured her.
As soon as he finished speaking, the air began to clear and she was able to breathe more easily.
"Thanks," she mumbled under her breath.
A muttered, "Mmm," was the only thing she heard as Celebrant walked quickly toward her.
He opened the door and yelled for water.
Kendra looked around the room and saw only Bracken. Seth and Unleea had disappeared into the shadows.
A minute later a Minotaur arrived at the open door. Suspiciously, his eyes scanned the room as he delivered the large jar of water and basket of cups.
Leander noticed the big beast's furtive attempt at gathering information about the meeting in the warded room. Normally a Minotaur would have considered it beneath his dignity to deliver water, even to Celebrant. He could just be curious, Leander thought, but he decided to watch for this individual when they started their search.
Celebrant took the water and Bracken took the basket. They closed the door again.
Seth and Unleea stepped out of the shadow to join them around the water jar.
"Drink up this may be the only water you get for a couple of hours. Come back to this room just after midnight, there is a midnight shriek so you will know what time it is," he laughed at some joke only he knew.
"If you don't show up we will start a search, don't know that we will find you if you are captured but we will try. Try not to get caught," Bracken said brightly.
Bracken poured water into every cup and they all took one.
"Water?" Kendra whispered pouring more water into her cup until it almost overflowed.
"Yes? How?" Leander asked.
She stepped back from the conversation between Seth, Bracken and Celebrant. She crossed her arms holding the cup at an odd angle, as if she wasn't paying attention to it. Leander tipped the cup just a bit more and was able to get a good drink out of the full cup.
"Thanks," the whisper tickled her ear.
"Mmm," she replied, as she shook her head.
She heard one quick almost silent ha!
"Bye bye," she said quietly, "be safe."
"Be careful little brother," she said loudly. "You too little sister," she smiled at Unleea.
Unleea looked up at her uncertainly, and then she smiled back. "I'll keep him out of trouble don't worry," she said confidently.
"Ready?" Celebrant asked.
"Yes," Seth replied. "Open the door and close your eyes, all of you," he commanded.
Kendra noticed that the room got cold when she closed her eyes, then the room felt normal again. She assumed that Seth, Unleea and Leander left the room unseen each using their various invisibility skills. She opened her eyes and the door was open and she was alone with Bracken and Celebrant.
"Wait for a moment as they get to where they need to be." Bracken said.
"We brought the remains of the table used in the spell with us." Bracken gestured to the large pack he had carried in.
"Thank you, it will be destroyed," Celebrant declared looking at the pack with disgust. He was sorry he had agreed to the use of the spell. He didn't want to think of his son dead, even if he wasn't the son he had hoped to have. Raxtus was gone, who knows where. Lost, like his mother before him.
Knowing what she knew about Axezeles, Kendra had to ask Celebrant a question that had been burning in her mind. Leander wasn't around to hear the answer but she assumed he really didn't want to know it anyway.
"Excuse me. I have a question, if you don't mind," she asked tentatively.
"Go ahead," he answered, somewhat distracted.
"You knew that you two had an excellent chance of one or more of your offspring being frost dragons. They would be very powerful if male especially as wizards. What were you thinking?" Kendra asked.
"We knew that at least one of our offspring would be a frost dragon, her and I," Celebrant spoke softly confirming her suspicion. He still had the heart scale in his hand. "Did you know that my father was a frost dragon?"
Kendra and Bracken both gasped.
"Yes." He smiled at their reaction but did not look up from the scale in his hand. "My father was Morisant, no one still living knows that little bit of information." He laughed ruefully at declaring the secret information to them.
"Not every mating is for procreation and even the ones that are can be unfruitful. My mother never told him that he was to be a father. She found out she was egg heavy shortly before he chose to become a wizard. Until the eggs in the nest were ready to hatch there was no use telling him by then he had made his choice. She chose to keep the secret. Only her children and one other knew who our father was. Of five eggs only three of us survived to hatch. My two siblings died in battle against demons before my father helped create Zzyzx.
"But Axezeles and I knew that our odds were very great that one or even all of our offspring would be frost dragons."
"I spent a lot of time around my father and he was kind to me even though he did not know I was his son. Morisant knew what idiots most of the other wizards were. He knew the world needed him. When Morisant foolishly tried to prolong his presence by becoming one of the undead and lost his senses, it was a tragic thing. We are fortunate that the remaining wizards had enough power to subdue him. With Morisant gone we were… we are in dire shape. The world needs another hero or two. I know everyone thinks that dragons hate wizards for what they have done in the past but sometimes even we need them.
"Without Morisant Zzyzx would have never worked. His skill and intellect were the keys to success in that effort. Now no one even comes close to his skills. Wizards are growing old and dying and so is our ability to protect us in the sanctuary world from the outside world. Agad doesn't want to see it; he too is getting very old. He is definitely not an idiot but he isn't as intelligent as Morisant was.
"Sanctuary spells will fail sooner or later and no one will have the skills to repair them. If there is no one who can cast the spells to build and repair sanctuaries then our numbers are limited by the sanctuaries that we have now and those will dwindle eventually.
"Even one male frost dragon would have made our future more secure and a few would have negated that concern altogether," he said, exasperation and regret mingling in his mind. He still had hope for the future but at the moment he was just terribly sad. He rubbed the rough surface of the desiccated scale in his hand, preparing himself for the expected depressing demands of the next few days.
"They obviously don't know they are putting themselves in danger by killing frost dragons," she said shaking her head.
Kendra thought about what Leander had said about dragons hating wizards. He wanted to be normal and being a wizard wasn't a normal thing. It wasn't a freak thing but it wasn't normal. Besides he was so human and had showed no signs of magic use yet, she wondered if he would ever be able to cast spells.
Kendra didn't know anything about dragon fertility but with Axezeles found, she and Celebrant could possibly have more offspring. They lived a long time maybe they still had time to hatch more baby dragons. Leander would have brothers and sisters. Maybe it would make him feel better. Then again, it might make him feel worse if he had sibling dragons, which he could compare his own deficiencies against. Kendra thought that maybe Leander was right. He might be better off staying human and not involving himself in the dragon world.
What Celebrant said made Bracken very nervous. Bracken knew the Fairy Queen could do a lot but this was not her realm. Here, in this world, there were some things that only a wizard could do. They needed to find out who was against there being frost dragons and fix this now. The world couldn't wait much longer for baby dragons to hatch, and then wait another 200 years for them to mature to be able to invoke their avatar.