The night was stormy with light rain as Sarah returned with her prize and delivered him to her husband's feet. Gersius finally looked at the man who called himself the high prophet of Youthan but was often referred to as the high gambler. The man had an olive color to his skin, marking him as one of the people far to the south. His dark hair was matted and wet from his journey, clutched in Sarah's mighty hand. He looked altogether disheveled and unhappy to face the man he had worked so long to hinder. Now Gersius stood in the rain, his silver armor running wet as he glared down at the man before him. Alayse, Jessivel, Rose, Mingfe, and Shadros were nearby, as were dozens of soldiers, all bearing witness to the confrontation. It was a dour moment, the rain reflecting the mood of the camp as one of the architects of the bloody war finally faced Gersius.

“You can’t win,” the man said with a slight smile, his limbs still trembling from the frightening trip. “We planned for you to get this far.”

Gersius didn't reply except the tighten his grip on the hilt of his sword until he heard the metal groan. He had no desire to see this man and even less to leave him alive, but the Priests of Youthan were gifted with a form of prophecy, and he might know the location of the ceremony.

Sarah, Lilly, and Rose stood around him in their dragon forms, looming down as if waiting for permission to devour him. The man staggered to his feet, looking around at the gathered faces as he realized the danger he was in.

“None of this will make any difference,” the man bellowed. “You have already lost.”

“No, you have,” Gersius replied.

“Ha, you think this is going your way?” the man mocked as he drew the last vestiges of his strength together to sound defiant. “You have no idea what’s coming.”

“Your master plans to devour the heart of the fallen goddess Solesta, and ascend to destroy Balisha, thus freeing the dragons and establishing a new order,” Gersius explained. The look of shock on the man's face was worth standing in the rain as he trembled before them. He spun around as if searching for an escape, but all around him were dragons and soldiers.

“It doesn’t matter,” he barked. “The Gorromogoth will prevail and save us from a second sundering.”

“Save us?” Lilly snapped as she lowered her head. “Dozens of dragons and thousands of humans are dead because of your so-called salvation.”

“That was his doing,” the man shouted, pointing at Gersius. “He is the danger that brings the darkness.”

“I am so sick of how twisted their logic is,” Thayle grumbled from Gersius's side. “Look at his light. He believes what he just said. He honestly believes that your desire to establish a lasting peace so you can raise a family is a great darkness.”

“His desires, no matter how simple, are the destruction of the dragons,” the man countered. “And without the dragons, we will die.”

“This again,” Sarah rumbled. “This foolish belief that the dragons will die out if Gersius is allowed to raise a family. Even if some dragons did bond with humans, it would never be more than a small portion of them. The greater threat to our kind was dividing them against each other and convincing them to fight.”

“It is the return of Balisha that ends the dragons,” the man said defiantly as he gained strength. “But I see you don’t believe me.”

“Gersius and I are the twin heads of Balisha's faith,” Lilly countered as her head loomed low. “We know the truth directly from her mouth.”

“Ha, the divines cannot provide direct answers,” the man mocked as his strength grew moment by moment. “You can't follow a priest of Youthan with your insistence that you know the will of the divines. We are gifted above all others in receiving divine direction, and I know you are interpreting based on visions.”

“You are wrong,” Lilly said in an almost playful voice. “I stood in her presence and spoke with her at length about what happened. I heard the entire tale directly from her, and I know you are wrong even if you don't.”

The look on his face was one of bewilderment as he considered what Lilly had said. “You could not have spoken to the goddess,” he finally said, but Lilly softened her appearance and spoke calmly.

“Yes, we did,” Lilly replied. “We spoke with Balisha, Astikar, and Ulustrah. We know what they want and have their blessing to continue.”

“But they are forbidden to enter the world,” the man replied. “To do so would bring even greater disaster.”

“We went into their heavens,” Thayle countered. “They never set foot on the world.”

“You went to the heavens?” the man sputtered, the look in his eyes showing an obvious distrust for what they were saying. “But that is impossible unless you die.”

“No,” Gersius cut him off. “We found an ancient temple dedicated to all the divines. There we found a gate that allowed us to step into the heavens for a short while and meet the divines face to face.”

“Impossible,” the man insisted.

“You can read about it in your own books,” Lilly added. “The man who travels into the north in search of a way to meet Vellis and find a cure for his daughter.”

“But that’s just a story,” the man said in shock. “If what you are saying is true, then I have been….”

“Lied to,” Sarah finished. “Lied to over and over by a mad dragon intent on personal power and a consuming belief that only he can fix what was done.”

“No, this can’t be,” he countered. “We have been carefully studying this for generations. Thousands have labored for years in careful study, prayer, and debate. Are we to say that all those men and women who devoted their lives to this purpose were wrong?”

“That is exactly what we are saying,” Gersius replied as he folded his arms. He was surprised at the man's reaction and his openness to debating the facts. He expected a hard fanatical adherence to his beliefs that would not be shaken even by a dragon. Perhaps there was some hope for reasoning with the man not completely close to the truth.

“I think he wants to know the truth but can't see it,” Lilly said across the bind in answer to his thoughts. “I want to try something.”

“What do you plan to do?” Sarah asked as Lilly told the man to watch her and stepped back.

“I am going to show him the truth,” Lilly replied as white mist began to crawl across her skin.

The man's eyes widened as Lilly was engulfed in a cloud of swirling mist that grew into a large ball. The sound of wind blowing in a stiff breeze filled the air before the mass flashed with lightning. Then the sound was gone, and the mist began to dissipate as a dark shape moved inside. Lilly used the weave to summon a simple dress and took a few moments to don the outfit before stepping out for everyone to see.

“By the divines,” the man gasped as his eyes focused on Lilly.

“This is the truth,” Lilly said as she walked toward him. “This is what the conflict is all about. We dragons were gifted with a human form so we could walk among you and learn of your ways. Balsiha is the key to this form; so long as she lives, we dragons can take it.”

“But they never revealed this to us,” the man gasped.

“That's because they don't want you to know,” Lilly insisted as she approached, her blue eyes fixated on him. Gersius and Thayle smiled as they saw the man's aura change to confusion and then interest as he took in Lilly's beauty. She smiled playfully as she came to just a few inches from him, looking deep into his eyes.

“What is your name?” she asked.

“I have several names,” the man replied in a softer tone, his aura twsting in confusion. The others could see Lilly's friendliness was surprising him, and he was taken aback about what to do. “It is part of our faith to never use our real name, but it is Kathos.”

“Kathos,” Lilly repeated as she reached out and took one of his hands, cradling it between hers. “This is what they want to destroy. A dragon's ability to take your form and learn how to love as you do. This is what they are so afraid of because Solesta believed this was abhorrent. She was afraid that if humans and dragons learned to love one another, it would destroy their culture.”

“But won’t it?” he asked in a tender voice.

“Kathos,” Lilly said slowly. “Dragons have no culture. We don't build or create or sing or dance in the rain. We don't enjoy warm hugs, or kisses, or the kind words of a lover. All we do is dig a hole so we can sleep for years, rising only to eat a little before sleeping again. Our lives are pointless and wasted because our long years and ageless bodies make striving for things meaningless. This was what Balisha wanted to change. She wanted to give us new meaning and a beautiful purpose, but Solesta couldn't see it and tried to stop it. She was afraid, and that fear led to a terrible war, the sundering of the world, and your orders paranoid belief that it could all happen again.”

“What is going on here?” Sarah asked over the bind as they watched Lilly.

“My, my,” Thayle said with a smile in reply. “Our little Lilly has learned how to use her innocence as a weapon. She is using the beauty and charm of her human form to prove he was being lied to and ensure he takes what she has to say to heart.”

“I blame you for this,” Gersius said over the bind as he, too, smiled. “You have been teaching her how to use her beauty to sway me.”

“Ha,” Thayle laughed and struggled to keep her conversation silent. “I accept full responsibility for this.”

Gersius nodded in agreement as he considered what was going on. Instead of threats and promises of retribution, Lilly was attempting to reach this man with the truth. She started by demonstrating the secret kept from his group, then systematically challenging his beliefs. It was the sincere way she spoke and her gentle mannerisms that had the greatest effect. A moment ago, this man felt trapped and under threat from dragons, but now he was talking to a gentle woman who was imploring him to listen. Somehow it was working, and before their eyes, a great enemy was beginning to soften.

They turned to watch the scene as Lilly explained how badly the dragons needed to evolve and how they were dying out anyway. She told him that because they cared so little for anything, even each other, they were not reproducing. If they didn't change and learn how to love, their kind would be lost, and the end, he feared, would come anyway.

“But why would they want that?” the man asked. “This entire effort is led by the dragons. Surely they wouldn’t be hastening to their own downfall?”

“Dragons think of the human form as Balisha’s curse as they believe it weakens them,” Lilly began. “But it was Solesta who cursed the dragons. She bound their hearts so they couldn't feel love, empathy, and compassion. She made them vain and greedy, desiring much more gold than they would ever need. This is why they are all against us in this war. So long as Solesta's heart remains, they are trapped in a slow, pointless march to oblivion. They care nothing for your kind because they can't care. They are stoking your fears and using you to achieve their goals. When they are done, they will discard you, or worse, keep you as labor and food.”

He was silent a moment as he stared into Lilly’s blue eyes. They could all see the change in his aura as he grew almost affectionate to the little blue dragon.

“We, of course, learned of your human forms when you revealed them to the empire,” he began, pulling his hand away. “We have even heard of the half-dragon forms your human mates have attained. It has caused much concern among our numbers as to why the dragons never shared these secrets with us. Many believe it is some form of trick, but to see the transformation leaves no room for doubt. This leaves the question of why they kept this secret from us. Your words offer some explanation. They fear and despise it so completely that they are striving to wipe it out.”

“Then you understand,” Lilly said. “And you can help us.”

“Help you how?” the man asked.

“As you were already told, we know about the eclipse and the plan to devour Solesta's heart,” Lilly replied. “We also know you and the other heads were to be there to receive your reward when the Gorromogoth ascended. We need to know where that event is taking place so we can stop it. If you were invited, then you must know where it is.”

“I am impressed,” Sarah grumbled over the bind. “She has won his trust.”

“Not yet,” Thayle said silently. “But she has caused him to doubt what he believes just as she did for Rose. By being loving and honest, Lilly causes all false beliefs to wither and die.”

“She is a true heart beyond any I have ever seen,” Gersius agreed. “Her power in Balisha would be mighty if the goddess had the strength to give her what Lilly's faith could call on.” They waited as Kathos looked away, embarrassed by her question and stumbling over his words.

“I am ashamed to admit I do not know,” he replied, with his aura reflecting the truth of his words. “But I can tell you how I was meant to find out.”

Lilly looked momentarily disappointed until he explained that he was meant to meet the others at a fortress in the mountains. The old father abbot of Astikar was the only one who knew for sure where the location was.

“Then we continue with our original plan,” Gersius said. “We take the tower and capture that madman.”

“No, wait!” Kathos said with a hand up in caution. “We knew this would happen. The fortress is another trap laid in preparation for you. This is the last effort of Father Abbot to lure you into a hopeless situation and witness your destruction from the high towers.”

“So that old goat still has a gambit to play,” Sarah rumbled.

“He was instrumental in many of our plans,” Kathos replied. “He and the forge master of Gorrin carefully planned layers of traps and snares to slow you down and channel you away from the truth.”

“You mean to tell me they knew we would use the tunnels and come north?” Alayse said in angry shock. The weight of that revelation shook them all to the core, and Gersius wondered if they should turn back now and attack from the border keeps.

“We planned against the prophecy,” the man explained. “His armies would march across the hidden paths, bringing doom from the north.”

“Oh, goodness,” Thayle gasped. “The prophecy told them we would do this. No wonder they were able to plan for our efforts so carefully.”

“And we walked into another trap,” Gersius rumbled.

“Not yet,” the Kathos said as he looked conflicted. Then, with a sigh, he reached into his pocket and drew a single gold coin stamped with a symbol resembling a mask.

“What are you doing?” Lilly asked as he held the coin between his fingers.

“I am the highest priest of a god of luck and chance,” the man replied. “But no man makes a wager blindly. You study all the variables and then make your best guess. Now tell me what you plan to do.”

Lilly looked at Gersius for permission, and he nervously nodded. She explained how they planned to surprise the tower with cavalry to trap the old man inside. Then the dragons with saddles and support would drop on the site from the air to capture the fortress with little to no fight.

The man nodded and flipped his coin, a slight hum filling the air as it rose and fell. He caught it in his palm and studied it a moment before making a slight frown.

“I see your snare going empty as the twin prizes escape,” he replied. “The old master has planned for a dragon attack and has turned the tower into a prison.”

“How does his faith work?” Thayle asked Gersius.

“They focus on a plan of action and then toss their coin. Their master grants them a vision of a possible outcome,” Gersius replied.

“But only a possible outcome?” Thayle pressed.

“It is usually the most likely outcome, but in all visions, there is an element of chance,” Kathos explained and held up his coin. “The Father Abbot already knows you are on the road. He is intentionally acting as the bait.”

“But if that was true,” Lilly said, looking at Gersius. “Then they knew Rose would betray them.”

“Because we only know about the fortress thanks to Rose,” Gersius said as he nodded.

“The flower of the dragon knight will tempt the young fire. She will be plucked and become a flower herself, saving the first and fleeing to the garden she was promised,” Kathos said.

“That has to be Rose,” Thayle said, glancing at the nearby dragon. “She was tempted by Lilly and given the name Rose. She then rescued Lilly and fled to us.”

“To find the happiness she was promised,” Gersius finished.

“They knew I was going to turn?” Rose said in shock. “How is that possible?”

“Don't be alarmed,” Sarah said as she turned her massive head on her daughter. “The prophecy is vague but probably more clear to the eyes of a man who can seek insight at the flip of a coin.”

“My insights are never perfect and are still subject to interpretation, but they do help,” Kathos admitted.

“Your insights are disturbing,” Alayse snapped as she stepped forward to join the conversation. “His light says he is telling the truth, and if that is the case, the entire army is in danger. We need to find a way forward that they didn't plan for and act on it now.”

“Hmm,” Gersius sighed in agreement before looking at the gloomy sky. “Let's first move out of the rain.” A great shadow spread over them a second later as Sarah stretched a wing over the entire assembly and sheltered them underneath.

“All you had to do was ask,” Sarah said as she lowered her head to look under.

Kathos looked impressed by the act of service but less relaxed when he met Alayse's angry glare. She demanded to know what they had planned at the tower, but he honestly didn't know. The father abbot was secretive and hid his plans from all but the forge master. Gersius thought the situation through and asked if he knew how heavily defended the fortress was. Again the man wasn't sure, but he was confident that at least one dragon would be preset. It was a dragon assigned to the old man by the name of Carigarra.

“They are both in the same place!” Sarah hissed. “How sweet our revenge will be.”

“That raises all sorts of concerns,” Thayle cut in. “She is the one who wove the spells that trapped the women of Ulustrah and laid the traps that can strip dragons of their power. If she is there, we can assume the tower is heavily guarded against dragon intrusion.”

“Yes, and even more tempting bait to encourage us to rush in,” Gersius agreed. “We have to be very careful about how we approach this. Are there any specific prophecies about our conflict with the fortress?”

“None that I am aware of,” Kathos replied. “But there are plenty we were never quite sure of.”

“What about the betrayer will be thrown from the stone under which he hid,” Lilly said as she gave it more thought. “Could that be the father abbot hiding in his fortress?”

“It could be,” Gersius replied as he considered it. “And it assumes we win.

“We always took that passage to mean one of our number betraying us,” Kathos said. “I suppose that could be me now.”

“No, the prophecy is about the dragon knight, so the betrayer is somebody who betrays the dragon knight,” Lilly insisted.

“And who has betrayed him more than the Father Abbot?” Thayle asked.

Gersius shared the sentiment and looked forward to laying his hands on the man who had caused him so much pain. The issue was the man knew they were coming and had prepared for it. That meant he needed to do something they wouldn’t be expecting, and with a smile shared his new plan with the group. All eyes turned to Kathos, who smiled and flipped his coin, catching it with an open palm.

“Well?” Sarah demanded as he studied the response.

“I see chaos,” the man replied. “The prophecy being bent near to breaking as both sides seek to manipulate it.”

“But is the outcome in our favor?” Sarah asked.

Kathos looked up from his coin. “I see the red queen devouring the darkness and recovering that which was taken from her faith.”

“Then we have our answer,” Lilly said as she looked at Gersius.

“And we have our plan,” he replied.