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CHAPTER TEN

It hadn't even taken the mercenaries till noon to break their camp and be ready to move out. For those who didn't have their own mounts, there were several wagons that were used to transport those soldiers.

Watching the mercs getting ready for the march, Rick estimated that Saedee the dragon only had a command of less than two hundred men. While that was an impressive company for sweeping through the outlying villages and individual homesteads, it was woefully inadequate to attack a city the size of Avoria and Rock Ridge Castle. There would be significant numbers lost on both sides, but there was no chance that they could overcome the sheer difference of the number of people on each side. And Rick rode up to Sadie and told her so.

"Why are you doing this? The differential in numbers has you in an untenable situation. It's simple math. How could you ever think you could conquer Avoria and Rock Ridge Castle?"

Sadie turned toward the agitated Sir Richard. "Well there are a couple of factors that you are forgetting. It's a matter of firepower, so to speak. I have a wizard and..." She allowed herself a large grin. "… A dragon on my side." She chuckled. "You'll be surprised how much those two things can tip odds back in my favor."

Kate pulled her horse up close. She'd been listening to what Rick had been saying.

"But if King Zachariah is a dragon as you say. Won't he be willing to use his own dragon powers to protect his kingdom?"

Sadie hunched her shoulders. "He might, but can you imagine what all those humans will think if their benevolent king for all those decades suddenly turned into a dragon and flew above their precious city?" She grinned. "Besides, I think it's just as likely that he'll give himself up to protect his precious pets, and we can just leave without any engagement at all."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Things will get messy."

Kate clamped her lips shut. She assumed that Saedee was counting on the people not understanding that the other dragon was the same individual who had ruled their land for decades. They'd only see the monster. Kate wasn't so sure that she wasn't right. No matter how great of a king Zachariah had been, ingrained fears and prejudice could surface.

Kate let her horse fall back a bit, until she was next to Zolitorus. If she was going to get any information from the wizard she'd have to tamp down her disgust for the magician she had never even seen perform any magic.

He raised a brow and looked down on her. "Yes?" He questioned in a condescending tone.

She had to hold back what she wanted to reply, but she controlled her loathing in the hope that she could get some information. She always hated not knowing.

"You've served the King for many years. How long have you known that he was a dragon?"

Zolitorus smirked. "Most of his life. He confided in me because he wanted and needed my help to believably pass as a human boy. I saw it as a challenge so I took him under my wing, so to speak."

"So you've known what he was for a long time?"

The wizard nodded. "Yes. He didn't want to be a dragon, he wanted to be just like everyone else. So I helped him, I thought it would be a challenge. Knowing my magic wouldn't work on him I had to use my intellect."

Kate frowned. "Why wouldn't your magic work on him?"

"He's a magical creature so my magic would just be sloughed off of him. My magic wouldn't be acknowledge by his."

"So what could you do for him?"

Zolitorus spread a large smile across his face. "This was where my genius intellect came in handy."

Kate rolled her eyes. "So what did you do?"

"The youngster so wanted to be a human boy, but to anyone who would come across him he was just another young vagrant child living on the streets. So I found a different life for him."

"Do tell?" Kate was interested in the story, but the ego being layered over everything he said was getting irritating.

He grinned again. "You see, being a wizard I was an invaluable member of the royal staff. Just as you saw me being a trusted advisor to the king when we first met. So was I an advisor to the whole royal family back then."

"And?"

"At this time the current King and Queen had a son just about the age of my young street urchin. Unfortunately, the King's son wasn't well. I had tried several potions and spells but his body just didn't want to go on. I knew the King and Queen would be devastated when the heir to the throne died, but magic can only do so much."

Kate shook her head. "Really? I thought magic could do anything?"

Zolitorus gave her quick shake of his head. "Oh no, even magic has its limitations. So it came to me that I could do two good deeds here. I could help this lonesome dragon, and I could shelter the king and queen from the heartbreak of the loss of their son."

"You switched them."

He nodded. "Of course. So I snuck my vagabond young friend into the castle where he was able to examine the young heir, and was able to use his own magic to be able to turn himself into the perfect copy of the young doomed heir, Zachariah."

"So how did he manage to age himself over the years if dragons can shape shift to look like the person or thing they wish, but they don't actually become that person." Kate found this whole shape shifting ability totally confusing.

"Zachariah took it on himself to make sure that his disguise would always be prefect. He studied a virtual library of human anatomy and studied how aging progresses and effects humans of various types. So every morning he gets up and minutely changes his human disguise to fit what could be expected in a healthy man his age."

Kate shook her head. "That's incredible. How does he manage to do that every day? He must miss a day here or there." Kate couldn't help grinning a bit. "It's only human."

Zolitorus rolled his eyes. "Anyway that's how he did it, with my help. He replaced the dying heir to the throne, who made a remarkable recovery, and let time and succession follow its normal course."

Kate still had one more question that had bugged her ever since she'd been told that dragons were shape shifters.

"So if the dragon can change her human look to nearly anything she could want, why choose to look like an overweight elderly woman?"

Zolitorus just laughed. "Well, the gender will always follow, but what they choose to look like is up to them. Unlike the King who had a model to copy and maintain. I believe that Saedee just took the first human woman she saw and used that, and for her that was good enough." He chuckled. "But I wouldn't be surprised if sometime in the near future, she may start using you as her template for a human female."

Kate shivered. "I hope not."

"I certainly wouldn't mind." Zolitorus winked. Kate shivered again, then turned her horse around to go back to Rick.

She found him riding next to Geoffrey and they seemed to be deep in conversation. She brought her horse up next to Rick.

"What are you two talking about? Have you given up trying to talk some sense into Sadie's rock hard head?"

Rick shook his head, Geoffrey sighed. "I don't think that person, woman or dragon has ever changed her mind once she decided on her course of action."

"We have to do something to make her rethink her plan." Rick sounded frustrated. "There is no way this can end except in a disaster."

Kate looked at the two gloomy men, one a friend, the other the love of her life. Something needed to be done because she really wanted to live to see what she and Rick together could become.

Her talk with Zolitorus had her thinking. She had a kernel of an idea. It was sort of a Hail Mary, but it had a chance to work. Well maybe a chance, a small chance. She guided her horse closer to the two men and began to fill them in on her conversation with Zolitorus.

After their private conversation they all agreed that Kate's idea might be a long shot, but it was worth a shot. The first part was going to be the hardest. They needed to talk to Sadie and convince her to do something she might not want to do.

The three of them gave their horses a little persuasion and went forward to confront the dragon.

Kate had volunteered to be the one to talk to Sadie. Being the only other woman with the troop, she hoped it would allow her a little more leeway with her comments and questions.

Kate urged her horse to draw up next to Sadie's horse. Zolitorus was on the other side of the dragon, but he didn't show any interest in her as she moved up. At least not yet. Rick and Geoffrey dropped back.

Sadie looked over and noticed Kate riding along next to her. "What do you want?"

Kate shrugged her shoulders. "I'm curious about something." Sadie just raised her brow. "You have wings, right?" The dragon just nodded, but kept staring at her. "So why ride a horse? Why don't you just fly to our destination?"

Sadie shook her head and gave Kate a weak glare. "A trip this long would be difficult to fly the whole way. I'd be too tired to do anything for hours until I rested enough to be at full strength again."

Kate nodded. "Oh, I see." She kept riding along next to her chewing on her lip.

Sadie scowled at her. "What else. You've been fidgeting since you came up next to me. What else do you want to know?"

"I don't want to annoy you." Kate let her voice show hesitation. "But why do you think that Zachariah has stayed so long with the people of Avoria and Rock Ridge Castle?"

She twisted herself so she was looking right at Kate. "For much of his early life, neither of us knew the other was even alive. I was involved with some squabbles in the far eastern provinces. I thought he had died as a child when I lost track of him shortly after his birth."

"So how did you find out he was alive?" Kate needed to keep her talking but not aggravate her while doing it.

Sadie jerked her head toward the wizard who was riding beside her. "Zolitorus came across me a couple years ago and when I told him about the son I lost, he put things together and told me that my son had disguised himself as the royal son, and had wound up becoming the King of the Western Realm."

Kate smiled. "Were you proud of your boy?"

"Proud!" Sadie nearly screeched. "It's no accomplishment to hide behind the image of some dried up old man pretending to be their rightful king." She shook her head. "If he wanted to rule over a bunch of mewling humans he should have done it as himself. No hiding behind a false identity."

"But you used a human guise to cloak your true nature most of the times that I had dealings with you?" Kate felt she had to point that out.

"All those times I was either undercover and had to hide my true form. Or I was in a situation where the compact form of a human was more convenient at the time. Like when I'm riding a horse." She smirked at Kate. "There are times when it's just easier to be small."

"So what is your plan once you get to the castle?"

She shrugged. "I haven't really thought it out that much yet. I suppose I could just mess up some of the city, then send him my demand that he comes out and shows me and everyone else who he is. Then he'll realize that his place is next to his mother, and he'll come back with me."

Kate nodded. "I suppose that would work, but it would be an inefficient way to do it. A lot of people on both sides would die in the early skirmishes. And you don't really have a lot of bodies to sacrifice until your son decides to come out and parlay with you."

"Who cares how many are killed." Sadie's voice showed contempt. "They are just humans."

Kate looked past the dragon on a horse and called out to Zolitorus. "Hey wizard, how long do you think this mercenary troop will last against the City Guard, the Castle Guard and any units of soldiers that would be in the vicinity."

Zolitorus grinned at Kate. "Oh, I'd give them a good twenty minutes once they are engaged."

Kate nodded and looked back at Sadie. "Not much time to demand an ultimatum."

"You are forgetting that I am a dragon, and have a wizard at my side. But tell me 'Lady Know

It All'. What would you do if you were me?"

Kate wanted to pump her fist, but she held her emotions in check.

"I'd send someone the King knows and trusts ahead so he can take an audience with the King and lay out the situation for the King and let him know what you want from him. It's obvious that Zachariah cares about these people if he's lived with and served these humans for all these years. He's more likely to do your bidding if it will save his people from whatever carnage you would put them through before your forces were completely destroyed. You said so yourself that he might do so. Make him think about it for a longer time as your troops are on the march."

Kate could see that Sadie was thinking about her proposal. Sadie's mouth twisted into a sneaky smile. "And just who would you suggest I send with this 'message' that you think will solve all the problems… you?"

Kate shook her head. "No, it would have to be someone he trusts completely. I would suggest Sir Geoffrey. The King trusts Geoffrey." Now Kate would knock the smirk off the dragon's face. "And I would think you'd want to send Zolitorus along also. Someone who had your interests in mind."

Kate glanced at the wizard, but couldn't quite read his guarded expression.

"I will consider your idea. It has some merit." Sadie watched the sun just hitting the western horizon. "It will be dark soon, so we will stop just off the trail and rest for a few hours. Then we'll remount and ride in the dark with outliers until the sun rises. We should arrive at the gates of Avoria just as they open up for the day."

Her command was given and swiftly spread through the ranks of the mercenaries.

Kate made her way back to Rick and Geoffrey and laid the rolled blanket from behind the saddle of her horse and stretched herself out with a large yawn. Rick pulled her in close to him. He told her it was to share warmth when the night got cooler. She just smiled.

"Did you suggest what we talked about to Sadie?" Geoffrey spoke up from the other side of Rick.

"Yeah I did. And she seemed accepting of it. We'll just have to see when she gets up." She stared at the sky. "Do you think that Sadie would believe that Zachariah would use that time to prepare a trap, or sneak attack on them?"

Rick slowly shook his head. "I don't think that it would even cross Sadie's mind. She's too direct. If you will talk, she will talk. If the answer if to fight, she only knows one way. Straight on, face to face."

Kate nodded her head. "That's the read I get also."

She snuggled into Rick, then leaned away quickly and addressed Geoffrey. "Oh, and I think if you are sent to talk to the King you'll probably have Zolitorus going with you."

Geoffrey threw his arm across his eyes. "As we expected."

There was no more talking. The three soon fell into a sleep without dreams.

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They were rousted out of their blankets by one of the mercs whose task was to get the troop up and moving. They hadn't gotten more than rolling their blankets and fastened them to the back of their saddles when the mercenaries started to move out.

They had just mounted their horses when Zolitorus rode up next to them. He pointed at Geoffrey.

"She wants to talk to you before she lets us go out ahead and make contact with Zachariah."

Geoffrey just glared at the wizard and followed.

Rick turned to Kate. "Well, here goes nothing."

She crossed her fingers. "Let's just hope that Zolitorus will be Zolitorus."

They rode along next to Sadie, at her request but there wasn't a lot of frivolous chatter. Kate noted that Sadie didn't seem as confident as she had the other day. She seemed nervous, and that was rather unusual for the woman who was a dragon.

She finally turned toward the two of them. "What do you think they'll say to Zachariah? Do you think he even knew I was alive?"

Rick tried to calm her with a smile. "I have no idea about that, but I expect they got out far enough ahead of us to be able to have enough time to wake the king and give him a full report of what was coming and who was leading it."

For the first time that Kate had seen, Sadie looked nervous.

They rode on until the light of the dawn began to wash over the walls and the buildings of Avoria. There was a small contingent of mounted soldiers in a bunch out front of the main gate which was closed.

Rick looked at the three mounted men in front of the rest. He recognized Geoffrey and Zolitorus. They were flanking a white haired, bearded, regal looking man with a jeweled crown on his head. He was bedecked in the robes of a king and sitting on a magnificent stallion. He never looked more regal.

The three of them stopped a couple dozen yards from the King. Sadie dismounted from her horse and stepped away from her troop. She then proceeded to change into her dragon form in front of the mounted soldiers her son had brought and all those who watched from buildings and the upper walls.

A gasp rang out in the morning breeze once Sadie had made her transformation to Saedee. She took a step closer.

"Why do you still wear that fragile body, my son?"

The King straitened his back. "It's the only one that fits my horse."

Saedee the dragon paced back and forth like a hunting animal. "I wish you to forsake that weak bag of flesh and come home with me, your mother."

The King dismounted from his stallion and walked a few feet closer to the ferocious creature, then stopped. The murmurs coming from the spectating crowd kept getting louder.

He held his head high. "I'm sorry mother, but that day so many years ago when I first took on this body of flesh and bone, I swore that I'd never take if off again. I merely tweak it from time to time to protect the reality I wish it to represent."

Saedee snorted and paced back and forth faster. "I'll have none of this nonsense. You are my son and you will come back with me. We are family."

Zachariah shook his head. "We were never family. For the past seventy years neither knew that the other even existed. We created our own lives, and I intend to keep the one I grew into."

She raised her imposing body up onto her larger hind legs rising to her full height of over twenty feet. "I will not have my will ignored."

The King took another step forward. "I am pleased to know that my mother still lives, but we have no possible future together. We have aged and grown over the decades as different creatures and we both have to accept that."

Zachariah turned part way and swept his arm in an arc that encompassed the large city and the impressive castle behind him.

"The structures behind me are magnificent examples of what these humans can accomplish when they band together for a purpose. And I can also feel the pride they feel for what can only be called a miracle that they've created."

Saedee snorted in contempt. "And I could destroy this entire city within a day or two."

The King shook his head. "You could try mother, but you would fail. The people that you dismiss so easily have pride in their accomplishments. This is their home and they would fight to protect it."

She released a loud roar which caused a few people to pull back and cower. Saedee smiled at the reaction.

"You think a human can stand up to me!"

"A human, mother?" He shook his head. "No… but humans can. There is a reason that the human race has progressed and flourished as time goes by while the other creatures such as yourself eventually disappear." The dragon roared in defiance. The King just kept shaking his head.

"This race is not perfect individually, but together they are unstoppable. The sheer numbers are daunting enough, but when their backs are to the wall, they are the most determined and unwavering creatures ever placed here by their god or any other."

"Bah, I could slaughter a dozen of them in mere moments." The dragon wasn't used to having her orders ignored.

Zachariah continued to shake his head. "Then they'd just send a hundred, or a thousand. Whatever it would take they would do." He turned briefly to glance over his troops and the people milling around in all the buildings and on the walls.

"I have a lot to answer for," he continued. "But I hope that what I've managed to accomplish as their king over the past decades will allow me to make any amends that I need to in order to continue serving them to the best of my ability."

Saedee paced back and forth. "So after all these years, what am I supposed to do now that I've found you? Just walk away?"

"Yes mother that would be the best solution. I may be your son from a happenstance of birth. But I lived all my life as one of these fine people. I couldn't change now if I wanted to. I am what I am mother and no sudden desires on your part now will change that."

The King remounted his horse. "The next move is yours, mother. We can fight some bloody, pointless battle which can only end one way. As strong as you are you don't have the numbers to prevail. Or you can take your troops and go back to wherever you call home and continue living the life you have been."

"And what kind of life do I have waiting for me?" Her voice was heavy and on the edge of tears. "If you reject your reality for this fantasy you've created, what is left for me? We are the last dragons. I've searched other worlds and other realms, and we two are the last dragons anywhere I have found. If you reject what you are I will be alone."

"I'm sorry for you mother, but I won't go back on my promise to these people or the oath I made to myself. The time of the dragon will soon be over and there is nothing that can be done about that. Find a pleasant land to live out the rest of your days." He gave the frustrated dragon a tender smile. "I have."

Saedee reared up on her haunches and bellowed her grief to the heavens, then she unfurled her wings and leapt into the early morning sky and flew off to who knows where.

During the entire confrontation between mother and son, Rick and Kate had slowly directed their horses away from the mercenaries and over to the soldiers of Castle Rock Ridge. Before the broken hearted dragon took to the skies, the duo managed to get themselves over next to where Geoffrey and Zolitorus were mounted.

As everyone watched the dragon's flight away from her heartbreak and this place, Kate leaned over and whispered into Rick's ear.

"Now what do 'we' do?"

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All Readers are Appreciated, Review if you wish

A/N: One more chapter and a short epilogue. Almost there.