The dreary room was poorly lit by a single tall window that let in little light. Its walls were bare and contained nothing but an old table and two wooden chairs. It was a fitting place for the man whose mood matched the surroundings as he glared across the table at Dellain.

“So you let them get away?” the Father Abbot asked with all the scorn of a disapproving father.

“I didn't let anything get away,” Dellain replied. “I ran the beast until it was tired and wounded. It managed to reach the trees, but it couldn't go much further.”

“And yet it seems to have done just that,” the Father Abbot pointed out as if Dellain had somehow missed the outcome. “How did it manage to reach the trees at all?”

“The red wench was waiting in ambush and took my force by surprise,” he replied. “We have no idea where she was hiding.”

The Father Abbot looked annoyed as he shook his head and pointed that Dellain's men wore heavy armor. Dellain countered by pointing out that she wasn't aiming for them. Instead, she was picking off the horses, wounding them so they would throw their riders.

“Ever the resourceful one,” the angry father replied as he began to tap his fingers on the desk. “She and that miscreant, Tavid? Tavin?”

“Tavis,” Dellain answered. “We saw no sign of him, but he couldn’t have been far. Those two are always together.”

“Of course,” the Father Abbot replied and took a deep breath. “So let me see if I understand this correctly. The dragon ran into the forest, leaving a trail of broken trees in its wake, and you lost it somehow?”

“Any fool could have followed that trail,” Dellain pointed out. “We dismounted and followed on foot with shields raised. It didn't run more than half a mile into the trees, but the trail comes to an end.”

“What do you mean by that?” the Father Abbot demanded.

Dellain reached into a pouch and withdrew an object he had collected from the forest. With a casual toss of his hand, he threw the object onto the desk. It was a spear point covered in dried blood that was left on the forest floor. He described how there were pools of drying blood but no path to follow beyond. The Father Abbot's eyes fell upon the point as he studied it for some clue as to what could have happened. This was all becoming a mystery, with the dragon's escape from the magical chains being the start.

“And Gersius was nowhere to be found?” he stated more than asked as he was sure of the answer already.

“The beast didn't have him,” Dellain replied. “We chased it for several miles, running it at full gallop. It was using all four of its legs and barely staying ahead of us.”

They separated somewhere,” the Father Abbot said as his face took on a faraway expression. “How long was the dragon out of sight of you men?”

“About five minutes,” Dellain admitted. “We picked it up at the farm where we captured it.”

“So from the time it dashed into the streets to the time you located it at the farm, it managed to hide Gersius,” the Father Abbot surmised as she continued to work out the details.

“My men are searching the area, and we have pressed the city watch into helping,” Dellain assured.

So Gersius has gotten away,” the old man said as he leaned back in his chair. A slight smile split his usually dour face as his fingertips came together. “A most interesting turn of events.”

“We are still looking,” Dellain insisted.

“I assure you he is on the move and will soon be well out of your reach,” the Father Abbot snapped, then paused to wave a finger in the air. “So the dragon escapes the chains, rescues Gersius, then manages to hide him before she is found again, but what about the other mystery?”

“What mystery?” Dellain asked, not having any idea what he was talking about.

“Why did it return to the farm?” he asked with eyes now focused like a hawk on Dellain.

“I am sure I don't know,” was all Dellain could say. In truth, he had no idea why the dragon would go back to the farm. Surely running straight into the countryside would have been wiser.

“There must be a reason. Why return to where it was captured?” the Father Abbot said as he resumed tapping his fingers. “There must have been something there that it wanted to recover.”

“We searched the barn after it was hauled away. There was nothing inside,” Dellain insisted.

“Did you now?” the Father abbot asked with a doubtful voice. He looked away and nodded to himself while trying to fit the details together. “Some of Gersius's friends have appeared from the mist right outside the city. It would almost seem as if he knew his path was in danger. I wonder if Astikar was warning him? I wonder if he knew his steps were doomed?” He spoke as if speaking to himself, his words trailing off as the puzzle was worked out. “He was always good at thinking ahead. He made plans within plans to adapt if the situation changed. I dare say he would have made a formidable general.”

“So, what do we do now?” Dellain asked as the man behind the desk rambled on.

“Why we learn from Gersius and adapt, Brother Dellain,” the Father Abbot replied with another slight smile. “Gersius isn’t the only one who knows how to plan ahead.”

“But we don’t have the dragon anymore,” Dellain pointed out.

“Which is why we have to return to Calathen with haste,” the Father Abbot said.

“Why Calathen?” Dellain asked. It seemed foolish not to do a thorough search and hunt Gersius down.

“You think we should stay and hunt for Gersius,” the Father Abbot surmised. “As I said, he is already out of our reach. No, the better plan is to get to Calathen because Gersius has his dragon, and that is where he is going.”

“Wouldn’t it be wiser to stop him before he reaches the city?” Dellain asked.

“I wouldn't worry about that,” the Father Abbot replied with a sense of calm in his demeanor. “There is more than one way to fulfill a prophecy.”

Lilly clawed her way out of sleep and into a world of soreness and pain. She struggled to sit up, groaning as muscles refused to cooperate. She went to use her hands to brace herself only to discover that Gersius was firmly clutching one. He was wrapped in a blanket beside her, his face still swollen from the terrible beating he must have endured. She took a moment to listen to him breathe and decided that he must still be asleep. She pried his fingers loose using her other hand and tried to move her legs. The left one protested with a spike of pain that ran up her side. Lilly decided to inspect the wound and carefully lifted the hem of her dress to discover the belted pads of cloth lashed to her leg. It took her several minutes to remove the binding and finally see the wound. It was a deep blue line that ran down her thigh, crowned by raised welt of purple skin. It looked terrible and was sore to the touch, but the bleeding had long ago stopped.

“By Ulustrah!” a woman gasped, drawing Lilly's gaze to see Thayle's shocked face. Thayle stood in the doorway holding a wooden tray of food. Once again, she was in her green robe with the hood thrown back and her hair woven with white ribbon. She hurried across the room and set the tray on a pew before rushing to Lilly's side. Lilly was confused by her reaction as Thayle put a hand on Lilly's leg and tested the wound in disbelief.

“This can’t be,” Thayle insisted as she pulled at the skin gently.

“What’s wrong?” Lilly asked as the concern grew in her heart.

“This wound should have taken a week to heal this much,” Thayle said in surprise as she began to look at other sources of injury. “Show me your wrists.”

Lilly felt awkward but held her arms out so Thayle could examine the wrists where the awful chains had burned her. To even her surprise, there appeared to be little injury, and the red rings were almost gone.

“You are healing much faster than I ever dared to hope for,” Thayle said as she turned one of Lilly's hands over. She released her grip and began to pull at Lilly's hair, trying to inspect the head injuries. “Please stop fussing,” Thayle insisted when Lilly tried to pull away. “This wound is almost gone as well.”

“I thought you healed me,” Lilly said when Thayle finally released her.

“I did all I could for you, but I had already spent my power on Gersius. When you arrived, I was exhausted, so I used the blessed water and my healing salve to try and speed your recovery along,” Thayle said.

“So why are you surprised it worked?” Lilly questioned.

“Because I can't heal as Gersius does. His order is gifted in healing where mine is not. What I did for you should take a full week or more to get results like this. I can't explain how you have recovered so much in so little time.”

“Maybe it’s because I am a dragon?” Lilly asked as she inspected a wrist. “Those wicked chains were burning my skin, but they feel much better now.” She inspected the other one, turning her wrist over several times before looking to Thayle in earnest. “How is Gersius?”

“I don't know,” Thayle admitted. “That he is still alive is a miracle in itself. I did all I could for him, but his wounds were cruel and terrible.”

Lilly turned to lean over him and took his hand in hers once more. “Will he recover?”

“I hope so,” Thayle said. “Some of his wounds were already too old, but I think his order did him a cruel favor.”

“What do you mean?” Lilly asked and looked up.

Thayle went pale as she explained what she believed his brothers did to him. She tried to impress on Lilly that they must have been breaking him over and over while using healing prayer to keep him alive. Though he most certainly suffered terribly, the healing magic would have healed the critical injuries first. With any luck, they prevented him from having any lasting injuries that might cripple him.

“What can we do?” Lilly asked with pain in her voice.

“Don’t let it upset you,” Thayle urged. “He is stable and not going to die, but he needs a lot of rest.”

“Which is something we don’t have time to give him,” Ayawa said as she entered the room from outside.

Thayle shut her eyes in frustration as a resigned sigh escaped her lips. “Do we have to talk about this again?”

“Time is not on our side,” Ayawa insisted. “They lost the trail in the forest not five miles from this town. By now, they will be searching the area and will expand that search as time goes by. They will almost certainly come here, and when they do, the villagers will tell them what they saw yesterday. It isn't safe to linger here.”

Lilly's gaze fell on the mysterious woman who dragged her from the forest. She wore the same outfit as the day before, but her hair was different. Instead of a single braid, two ran down her chest and were woven with a red ribbon the entire length.

“Can she walk?” Ayawa asked.

Thayle turned to Lilly and looked at the angry wound on her leg.

“Have you tried to stand yet?” she asked.

Lilly nodded and admitted that she had tried, but it hurt, so she stayed sitting. Ayawa urged her to try again, insisting that she had to get up.

Thayle let out another sigh and stood herself before taking one of Lilly’s hands. “Let’s see if you can stand with a little help.”

Lilly looked at the hand that gripped hers and was immediately reminded of the safety she felt when Gersius held it. She nodded and allowed Thayle to help her rise, wobbling a little before getting to her feet.

“How does it feel?” Thayle asked as Lilly gently tested a step.

“It feels sore, but I can walk on it,” Lilly responded while squeezing Thayle's hand. She turned her head to look at Gersius, who was still sound asleep on the floor. “What about Gersius?”

Thayle paused to stare in wonder as Lilly's aura suddenly changed. Her concern for Gersius was evident as flecks of her light floated away and drifted to him. She was feeding him a part of her energy, and he, in turn, was giving some back.

“We were discussing a way to move him,” Thayle said after a moment of watching. “But we can talk about that later. Come sit down. I brought you something to eat and some clean water to wash your face.”

Lilly nodded and let Thayle guide her to the pew. She sat with some difficulty and fused again as Thayle dipped a cloth in a small bowl of water and began to wipe the blood from Lilly's face. Lilly studied the wooden tray to find it contained some grapes, a white block of what she thought might be cheese, and to her delight, two thick slices of bread. Just as she reached for the bread, another form appeared in the doorway and announced his presence.

“Is she awake? Tavis called as he entered the room and saw her sitting. “Have you asked her yet?”

Thayle sighed at the second interruption and informed him that Lilly had only been awake a couple of minutes. All Thayle had done so far was inspect her wound and help her sit.

“We do need to know,” Ayawa insisted with folded arms.

Lilly looked around the room, noting the concerned faces that stared back. Whatever they wanted to know, it was she they expected to provide the answer. She turned to Thayle and asked what they wanted, and Thayle took her hand between her own and replied.

“They want to know what happened to you and Gersius. We need to know why they did this to you.”

Lilly thought back to that terrible day when she was abandoned, and the men came to hack her wings off. Tears came to her eyes as soft lips trembled to relive the moment that would forever haunt her dreams.

Thayle nodded and patted her hand while assuring Lilly that the answer could wait. She turned to the others and waived them out, insisting that Lilly could tell them after she had something to eat. Insisting they go, Thayle followed them out and left Lilly alone to cry as the memory tore at her soul.

“This isn’t a small child that needs protecting,” Ayawa scolded as they arrived in the outer yard.

“I know full well what Lilly is,” Thayle retorted. “And I know that she feels pain and sorrow like any human does. In some ways, I suspect she feels it even worse.’

“I am sure the dragon is upset, but the sooner we have solid information, the better,” Tavis interjected with a calming voice. “It will determine our next course of action, and we don't have time to wait.”

“Please,” Thayle begged. “Just give her a moment to eat something and clear her head. I will bring her out here when she's done, and then she can tell us.”

“Why out here?” Ayawa asked with a raised brow.

“Lilly is upset about Gersius,” Thayle explained. “I can see her aura react every time she looks at him. If we want her to answer questions without getting emotional, she needs to be out here where she can't see him.”

“What do you mean her aura reacts?” Ayawa asked.

Thayle shook her head and tried to explain it. She left out the details but assured them that Lilly was having some kind of strong emotional response.

“You mean like love?” Tavis asked incredulously.

“Don't be a fool,’ Ayawa barked. “We're talking about a dragon, not a man. They don't feel any kind of emotion except hunger and greed. That fool thing wouldn't even leave its tiny bag of coins behind to save its own life.”

“I lifted that bag, and though it isn't a king's treasure, it is hardly tiny,’ Tavis replied.

“It wasn’t worth her life!” Ayawa spat. “She should have run with us and come straight here.”

“It obviously meant a lot to her,” Thayle interjected. “You could say she felt strongly about it like a human can feel strongly about something.”

“As I said, they can feel greed,” Ayawa reminded and pressed home her point. “The greed of dragons is legendary. They would sooner kill their own young before parting with a single coin.”

“Actually, most mother dragons give a small portion of their hoard to a broodling when it leaves the nest,” Lilly said from the doorway where she was standing. “At least mine did.” She limped into the yard while struggling to put on her blue necklace.

“Lilly,” Thayle cried and moved to support her. “You can’t possibly be done eating.”

“I didn’t feel much like eating,” Lilly replied in a voice that shook. You have no butter for the bread, and I really like butter.”

Thayle smiled at the very human remark and offered to help her put on the necklace. Lilly relented and let Thayle work the clasp, locking it in place around her neck. She then stood in the open air, savoring the coolness of a morning breeze. It seemed like ages had passed since she enjoyed the cold of the valley. Yet, the time spent with Gerisus felt like they held more meaning than all the ages of her previous life. She took a moment to breathe deeply before looking to the others who waited nearby.

“You want to know what happened,” she said in a cold reptilian tone that sounded like two people speaking at once. “You want to know how Gersius and I came to be this way.” She paused to take another breath, focusing on telling the story without crying. “The people he went to for help lied to him. I heard them tell him they were going to help, and they promised to heal my wings.”

“Your wings?” Thayle asked in confusion. “What’s wrong with your wings?”

“Gersius wanted to keep it a secret,” Lilly said, her voice getting weak. “He told me not to tell anyone about it. I wasn't even supposed to let people know I was a dragon.’ She paused and looked to Tavis and Ayawa, asking if he had mentioned anything about her wings in the letter. The two exchanged glances before shaking their heads no.

“My wings were broken and useless,” Lilly began with a voice full of pain. “They were so badly twisted I couldn't walk, let alone fly. Gersius,” she had to pause when she said his name. “Gersius tried to help me. He tried to heal me and save my wings, but he couldn't do it.”

“Gersius could heal ten men and keep fighting,” Ayawa stated flatly.

“My wings were not the only things that were broken. I had recently fought with another dragon, and when he found me, I was dying. All but one of my limbs was shattered, and my body was full of holes. I didn't even have the strength to crawl across the ground. I was weak and bleeding out when he walked over the hill.”

“That would make things harder,” Tavis said as Lilly painted the scene.

Lilly nodded as a tear finally rolled down her cheek. She sniffled and wiped at her eyes before continuing.

“He did all he could, but I was so badly wounded. My fatal injuries were recovered, but he couldn't save my wings. I was upset about my wings, and I said mean things to him. I told him I didn't want to live if I couldn't fly. He was patient with me and held my hand, promising that there was something left to live for.”

Ayawa took on a stone-faced expression as Lilly's gaze fell on her, and the tears started to pour.

“He showed me things I had never noticed before. He made me realize that there was more to you rodents than I realized. He was the one who gave me my name. He called me Lilly because it was a pretty flower from someplace he knew.”

“Lily's are beautiful flowers,” Thayle agreed and squeezed the crying woman's hand. Lilly looked at the hand and smiled weakly before wiping her eyes to continue.

“That's what he told me,” she said as the tears kept coming. “He kept me safe, and I began to trust him. He introduced me to others of your kind, and I learned to trust them too. Then he got a message from one of his brothers that he had to take me to this rodent hive you call Whitford.”

“Take your time,” Thayle urged when Lilly let out a tender sob. Lilly nodded and hung her head while trying to wipe away the near-constant flow of tears.

“We met Thayle along the way, and she was very kind to us. I was afraid of her at first, but then she got the man in the funny clothes to invite us to the party. I didn't even know what a party was, but I learned how to do what you call dancing. Gersius showed me how.” She paused again as the pain made her shake while her grip tightened on Thayle's hand. “I started to believe that I liked you rodents, but we had to leave here and go to Whiteford.”

“I am sure this is where it all goes wrong,” Tavis said with a deep sigh of regret.

“Gersius was worried about something and afraid to take me into the city. He made me take my dragon form and hide in a barn. He said I should keep this rodent form a secret until it was safe. I didn't understand what he meant, but he was so insistent I not let anybody know.”

Thayle could hear the pain as Lilly's voice grew in anger. She saw it reflected in her aura as steaks of angry red clouded the light.

“He left me there and came back with that old wretch that he called his leader. That vile man lied to us and promised that he would heal my wings. He said he had some special ring that could be used to grant greater healing and would send brothers to heal me. He made Gersius go back with him but promised to send men immediately to heal me.” She paused to take a few deep breathes as her limbs trembled at the memory. “I don't know what happened to Gersius after he left, but the men that were promised did come.”

Thayle felt Lilly’s grip tighten even more as her entire aura saturated with deep red. She was angry beyond belief and trembled with rage.

“They told me they were there to help me and asked me to stand in a magical ring they were chanting to create. I trusted them and walked into the trap blindly. They were Gersius's brothers, and he was so good to me; why wouldn't I trust them?” She sobbed a moment, then wiped once more before going on. She explained how they immobilized her with the blessing but broke down when she tried to explain the rest.

Thayle turned to face her and took both hands, offering encouragement. “It's all right,” Thayle said tenderly. “You're safe now. Take your time, but please, you have to tell us what they did.”

Lilly looked up with eyes full of tears and a burning blue light that nearly startled the group. Her aura flared with rage, growing hot and bright as if she were a star of red fire.

“Lilly, what did they do?” Thayle whispered in alarm.

“They cut off my wings!” she roared and nearly collapsed, forcing Thayle to support her. Tavis muttered a curse as Ayawa looked away in disgust. Lilly trembled and sobbed, supported only by Thayle, who now had an arm around her back.

“They chained and beat me!” she cried. “They dragged me through their hive and then treated me like an animal. They called me a beast and a monster while kicking me when they walked by. The next day they dragged me out and put me on display so the rodents could point and laugh at me.”

“I am so sorry,” Thayle whispered as her heart broke.

“My mother said I should never go near you rodents. She said you were dangerous, but I thought maybe she was wrong. I thought I had misjudged you because Gersius makes you all sound so noble. I was stupid. I thought you were all like him.”

“It is a sad thing to say, but few of us are like Gersius,” Tavis admitted as he took off his hat and nervously twisted it in his hands.

“The rodent called Dellain said that I was his dragon now. He told me that he was going to break me and teach me how to serve him. He said if I didn't do as he said, he would make me sing for him,” Lilly sobbed.

Thayle wasn't sure what Lilly meant by singing, but none of the options that came to mind were pleasant. Whoever this Dellain was, he sounded like a monster, and Lilly was clearly terrified of him.

“When they put me on display, it was during some kind of ceremony. I thought. I thought…” She struggled with the words as she hung her head and her aura filled with shame. “I thought Gersius had lied to me. I thought he'd planned all this from the start. He lured me to this city and led me into a trap to make me a trophy. I began to believe that all the kind things he had done were just layers of deception.” She had to pull her hands free to use them both to wipe her eyes. The tears flowed so freely that the top of her dress was visibly wet.

Thayle saw blue and greens twisting in her aura as Lilly shuddered in despair. What she was about to say deeply wounded her and filled her with shame.

“I thought he had betrayed me.” She took another deep breath and hung there silent a moment. “And then they brought him out.” This time she paused for nearly a minute, shaking her head as if in disbelief. The pause sent shivers down Thayle’s spine and caused concerned glances between Tavis and Ayawa.

“I could smell the blood even before I saw him. He was so badly beaten I didn't even recognize him at first. He couldn't walk or even hold his head up, so they dragged him out, leaving a trail of blood behind. They tied his broken body to some posts before a cheering crowd that cursed his name. He was so weak that he crumpled and hung limply from his wrists.”

Now it was Ayawa’s turn to curse, and Tavis bowed his head in remorse as Lilly shook with rage.

“I didn't understand,” Lilly said. “I was so sure he was going to come out to receive some kind of reward and mock me for being so stupid. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, but then the old wretch started to speak. He accused Gersius of crimes against his god, his order, and the people. He said we had come to Whiteford to attack it. He said Gersius refused to.” She stopped and realized there was no way to explain the rest without revealing the truth.

“Refused to what?” Ayawa asked. “What did they want from him?”

“They wanted me,” Lilly admitted without looking up.

“But they already had you,” Tavis pointed out. “You were captured and chained.”

Lilly saw the trap and struggled to find a way to explain it. Admitting she was bound was humiliating, and she couldn't bring herself to say it.

Thayle watched as Lilly's aura flashed with the colors of pain and suffering. Whatever was bothering Lilly, it cut deep to the core of her being. She replayed Lily's last words, searching for some hint to an answer that would make sense of it all.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Ayawa said, echoing Thayle’s thoughts. “He brought you to them in good faith. They had nothing to gain by turning on him.”

“I have to admit I agree,” Tavis said. “He delivered the dragon as promised. What would be the point of robbing themselves of their greatest commander in a time of war? If anything, they should have given him a parade and erected a statue.”

Lilly stammered as Thayle saw the colors of hurt and embarrassment flare in her aura. She replayed the events that occurred since first meeting them and finally remembered the red chain. Her eyes went wide as she looked down to see it even now, pointing to Gersius and screaming out the hidden truth.

“Gersius has you bound!” she cried in shock.

Ayawa and Tavis went silent as they stared at Lilly, who covered her face and sunk to her knees.

“Yes!” she cried in a sobbing wail that went on for a long moment.

Thayle knelt beside Lilly, trying to comfort the poor woman with an arm around her back.

“Lilly, it's alright. Your secret is safe with us,” she assured.

“It is humiliating!” Lilly cried. “I am a dragon!”

“So that's why you're helping him because you have no choice,” Ayawa said, her voice flat and emotionless. Thayle shot her a look of disapproval, but Ayawa held her ground and met the gaze with defiance. “Why do you look at me like that?” she asked. “The best is only helping because it has no choice. It would probably kill him if it had the chance.”

“That’s not true!” Lilly shouted from her knees. She struggled to get up and wipe her eyes before turning on Ayawa with an angry glare.”I admit he forced me to give him my name, and I hated him for it. But he was careful to treat me with respect and honor my wishes. He was concerned about how I felt and took the time to talk to me. Gersius bought me this necklace and these clothes,” she said while pulling on the dress. “He gave me the name Lilly because he said it was beautiful, like me.”

She stopped her tirade and turned away, allowing an uncomfortable silence to hang in the air as they wondered what was coming next.

“I was afraid to leave my home and go among you rodents, but Gersius held my hand and showed me it was safe. He bought me your foods and showed me how you lived in these things you call houses. He took the time to explain your world to me and encouraged me to ask questions. Because of him, I learned what music and dancing are, and I was starting to feel happy again. But then we went to Whiteford, and I was terrified. I thought he had betrayed me and given my name to his brothers. I was sure this Dellain was going to torment me for the rest of my life. I wished I had died that day and was helpless to do anything about it. But then I saw what they did to him, and I heard the truth. That old wretch condemned Gersius for refusing to give him my true name.”

“That's why they tortured him,” Tavis said. “They wanted her true name so they could bind her, but he refused to break his promise.”

“Then how did you escape?” Ayawa asked with a softer tone. “You admitted you were chained and no doubt guarded. Gersius was tied to a post and practically dead, so how did you manage it?”

“Because of the secret,” Lilly said with a sniff. “I could have escaped anytime I wanted, but Gersius was afraid I would spoil the secret. So before he left me in the barn, he commanded me to stay in my dragon form. He didn't want his brothers to know I could take this human form and insisted it had to remain a secret.”

“It must have been important to him,” Tavis agreed. “He didn’t’ even mention it in the letter.”

“I pleaded with him to let me come into the city in this form, but he said no and gave me the command. He said I needed to trust him, and then he left to bring his wicked leader back.” She wrapped her arms around herself and tried to steady her breathing as the pain threatened to overwhelm her. “The magic chains were made to hold a dragon. If I could have changed, I could free myself, but I was bound and commanded. I couldn't do anything but suffer.”

“Lilly,” Thayle said in a soothing voice as she noted the pain in the woman's aura. “We understand that this was terrible for you. I am sorry this happened, but please tell us, how did you two escape?”

Lilly nodded silently and took a deep breath before continuing. She explained how the Father Abbot wanted to make a spectacle of Gersius. The fool made the crowd go quiet and gave Gersius a chance to speak. He implored Gersius to do the right thing and give him her true name. Lilly smiled an evil smile and explained how Gersius called out in a loud voice and released her from his command. All three of them understood what happened next, but Lilly went on to explain it anyway.

“I changed to this form, and the chains fell away. Then I changed right back and was free.” Lilly shook her head and stared at the ground as she remembered. “I was so angry. I was so hurt! When I realized that Gersius had suffered to keep his promise, I just wanted to...” She shook as the words escaped her, and Thayle did her best to comfort her again.

“I killed them. I killed as many of them as I could reach. I ripped them apart and bit them in two savoring the blood as they screamed for help. I froze them in place and shattered the bodies just to see them break. I threw them into the walls, into the buildings, into the fleeing crowd.”

Thayle took her arm away as Lilly described the scene. The anger that flared in her aura was truly disturbing, and she felt somehow threatened to be so close.

“Then the wicked Dellain showed up with a bunch of his brothers. I hungered to kill him and tried to freeze them all, but they used magic to shield themselves. When those orange hammers started to batter me, I realized I had no choice. I had to flee or be captured, but I couldn't leave Gersius.” She looked over her shoulder to the temple as if able to see him inside. Thayle could see the colors of pain and concern as Lilly thought of him and wondered what it meant.

“If I was the monster you think I am, I would have left him there to rot. He would have died, and I would be free of his binding.” She said those words as her eyes fixated on Ayawa. “But I couldn't. He suffered that to protect me, and I wasn't going to leave him! I shattered the posts and carried him away as fast as I could. I trampled everything in my path, laying waste to the hive as I fled. I didn't care who died. They deserved it for cheering to see Gersius, and I suffer.”

The cold sound of her voice when she referred to killing the people made them all uneasy. Of course, none of them blamed her for what happened, but it was still hard to accept how little she cared for human life.

“I fought my way to the gates and tore them down! I Didn’t care about anything but getting Gersius out of the hive.”

“And that’s where you met us,” Thayle added.

“I was so relieved to see you, Thayle. You were so kind to us, and Gersius said I could trust you,” she replied and looked to Thayle. “I knew you would help us.”

“I think we have heard enough,” Thayle said and put a hand on Lilly’s shoulder. “You were very brave to tell us all this.”

Lilly nodded, and a long moment of silence followed before Tavis finally spoke up. He pointed out that her rampage would give the Father Abbot a powerful weapon against Gersius. He would use her actions to prove his lies and condemn Gersius.

“The man is a shrewd manipulator,” Ayawa agreed. “He won’t pass up an opportunity to sway mass opinion like this.”

“But none of this makes any sense,” Thayle argued. “Gersius made it sound like they were going to lose the war. They needed him to complete this mission and return with a dragon. If they wanted it so badly, why try to stop Gersius from delivering the miracle they seek?”

Tavis and Ayawa remained silent. Neither of them had any idea why they would try to stop Gersius from fulfilling the prophecy.

“There must be more going on here than we have yet uncovered,” Tavis said. “That means there are dangers we have yet to understand.”

“Then it is even more imperative that we move soon,” Ayawa stated.

“We can't risk the roads, at least not anywhere around Whiteford,” Tavis said.

“We can take the back roads and go across the wilds,” Ayawa replied.

“But go where?” Tavis asked.

“Gersius wanted to go to Calathen,” Lilly interjected, her face tear-streaked and red with anger.

“That is the last place we will be going,” Ayawa stated.

“Why?” Lilly asked.

“Calathen is the stronghold of the worship of Astikar. It is their base of operations. It would be like walking into a hornet's nest,” Tavis answered.

“We would be cut down long before we saw the gates of the city,” Ayawa protested.

“But that's where he said we needed to go,” Lilly insisted, her voice gaining strength.

“It is where he needed to go,” Tavis agreed and put on his hat. “But I don't see how he can go there now.”

“So that brings us back to the point. Where do we go?” Thayle asked again.

All of them were silent as the question hung in the air.

“It needs to be someplace they won't think to look for him,” Tavis said, breaking the silence.

“And that doesn't have a temple of Astikar that might accidentally discover him,” Ayawa added.

“I wish Gersius was awake. He would know where to go,” Lilly said, wiping an eye.

“We could go to Eastgate,” Thayle suggested. “It has a major temple of my order and none for Astikar.”

“Why would there be a large temple to your order in Eastgate?” Ayawa asked.

Thayle explained that the cold climate made it harder to grow crops, so there was a large temple with many priests. The head of her order for this entire region was there. He would be willing to shelter them and might even provide armor and equipment for Gersius.

“That’s up in the plateau. We can skirt the eastern mountains and follow them north. Then pick up the road to the city just a few miles outside it.” Ayawa said with a nod. “It will take two weeks to reach going through the wilds.”

“If we went to Millwater, we could try booking passage on a ship going upriver,” Tavis said.

“If we want a boat, Westbridge is closer,” Thayle pointed out.

“Westbridge is too close,” Tavis said. “And it has a temple of Astikar. It would be folly to go there.”

“Neither of them is a good choice,” Ayawa stated. “We risk detection trying to get on a boat. Millwater will almost certainly have been warned about Gersius. They will be watching.”

“Millwater has no temples to Astikar,” he pointed out.

“And what about the seekers? They have spies and agents in many of the towns. You never know who they are paying to watch,” Ayawa replied.

“It is the safest town we can use that has water access. It will be much easier to transport him by boat than carry him over the foothills. Besides, the river goes right to Eastgate. It will shave days off our travel time,” Tavis argued.

“It’s a risk, but it might be one we have to take,” Ayawa admitted. “Let's gather our things and get your horse priestess. We will use it to transport Gersius through the wilds until we get to Millwater. Move. We have lingered here too long already.”

They all agreed and worked to prepare for the journey, but Lilly could not shake the feeling that Calathen was where they needed to be.