Interview
Kendra sat at the vanity in her new room, brushing her hair. The thick stone walls and small windows made most of Blackwell Keep feel like the interior of a cave. The comfortable room was nicely furnished, but cool and drafty.
Mendigo lurked in the corner, a silent sentry, still as a scarecrow. When Kendra had awakened during the night to use the bathroom, she had nearly jumped out of her skin when she found the limberjack posted near her door, though she had known he was standing guard when she went to bed. The fur comforter had kept her toasty while she slept, but the parts of the stone floor not covered by carpeting had been icy against her bare feet. The bathroom had an archaic toilet, but at least the sink had both warm and cold running water.
In addition to the bathroom, her room connected to the outer hall and to Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson's bedroom, which in turn led to Seth's room. They had their own little wing of the keep to themselves, with an armed dwarf stationed outside at all times. Calvin helped stand watch over Seth's room.
A knock at the door jerked Kendra from her thoughts. It was the door that led out to the hall. She glanced at Mendigo. "Ready for trouble?" she whispered.
Joints jingling, the limberjack gave a brisk salute.
Kendra crossed to the door. "Who is it?"
"Simrin," came the reply.
The snakelike lady had made Kendra uncomfortable even before Bracken had communicated that she didn't like humans. But Simrin wasn't an enemy, and the dwarf on duty had allowed her to pass. Kendra unlocked the door and opened it.
If Kendra ignored the extra set of arms, Simrin looked like a slim, hairless human woman. Except instead of human skin, she had the small, intricately fitted scales of a snake, and her eyes were abnormally dark. The bandolier across her narrow chest held six knives.
"Hello," Kendra said.
"A dragon is waiting to speak to you," Simrin said, her accent more British than American.
Kendra swallowed, trying to keep her composure. "Celebrant?"
Simrin shook her head. "His son."
Kendra brightened. "Raxtus?"
"Quite so. He awaits you beyond the lesser gate."
"I guess he can't come inside the keep," Kendra said.
"Absolutely not," Simrin said, eyes flashing.
"Right," Kendra said, chagrined by the implied scolding.
"I can lead the way," Simrin said.
Kendra glanced at Mendigo. "Come with us."
Simrin escorted Kendra past the dwarf on duty. The snakelike woman moved with liquid grace. Kendra had to trot to keep up with her deceptively quick strides.
They emerged in a courtyard that contained a modest church house and an assortment of gravestones in various states of disrepair. Kendra blinked until her eyes adjusted to the bright sun glaring down from a hard blue sky. Simrin led the way to the outer wall of the keep and opened a heavy iron door. Beyond the door, a straight, narrow passage penetrated the thick wall, interrupted halfway by a gate of iron bars. Simrin unlocked the gate, then stepped through and unlocked the iron door at the far end.
Exiting the keep with Mendigo at her heels, Kendra found a glittering dragon waiting on the rocky ground outside. With a body the size of a large horse, Raxtus was the smallest dragon Kendra had met, though his long neck, tail, and wings augmented his size. His gleaming armor of silvery white scales reflected a rainbow sheen, and his aerodynamic head shone like polished chrome. Unlike other dragons, Raxtus projected no paralyzing aura of fear.
"Kendra!" he said, his voice similar to a confident teenager's, but fuller and richer than a single human voice box could manage. "I can't believe you're here!"
"It's good to see you," Kendra said, reaching up to rub where his neck met his chest. Her touch increased the luster of his rainbow sheen. She could feel her magical energy flowing into him.
"Whoa, not so bright, the guys might be watching," Raxtus complained.
Kendra backed away. "Since when do you care what other dragons think?"
"Are you kidding?" Raxtus exclaimed. "I've always cared. It just didn't matter because nobody took me seriously."
"They'll take you more seriously if you don't worry about what they think," Kendra said.
"That's true up to a point," Raxtus said. "A respectable dragon wants to maintain a certain persona. Humans are supposed to be frozen with fear around dragons. Letting one pet you wrecks the ferociousness. And lighting up at the touch of a fairykind girl only makes it worse."
"I see," Kendra said.
"I'm sparkly enough already," Raxtus said. "Dragons don't aspire to be glittery."
"Feels good, though?" Kendra checked.
"It really does," Raxtus said with a sigh. "One more little rub."
Kendra stroked his chest for an extra couple of seconds. His scales felt like metal polished to a silky finish.
"Somebody fixed your creepy puppet," Raxtus observed.
"Agad repaired him," Kendra said.
"Are you getting to know Simrin?" Raxtus asked.
Kendra glanced at the four-armed lady standing near the gate, maybe twenty yards away. "A little."
"Twice the hugs when she grabs you," Raxtus whispered.
Kendra couldn't help giggling.
"Can we talk around her?" Raxtus whispered.
"I think so," Kendra said. "She's watching out for me."
"Okay . . . look," Raxtus said, keeping his voice quiet. "I heard a rumor that you and Seth might try to become caretakers here."
"More than a rumor," Kendra said.
Raxtus gave a nervous laugh. "Has anyone mentioned the timing is pretty bad?"
"They say your father is trying to overthrow Wyrmroost," Kendra said.
"Well, he is a caretaker," Raxtus said. "And the Dragon King. Can he overthrow himself? Maybe you could say he wants to establish full control."
"That wasn't the deal with Agad," Kendra said.
"Sometimes deals have more than one interpretation," Raxtus hedged.
"You don't side with Celebrant, do you?" Kendra asked.
Raxtus winced. "Think about it. Your grandparents are caretakers at Fablehaven. Don't they come and go as they please?"
"Pretty much."
"So if my dad is the caretaker of Wyrmroost, why is he stuck here like a prisoner?"
"This is a dragon sanctuary," Kendra replied. "The deal with Agad gave him more control at the sanctuary, not permission to leave it."
"If he can't leave, is it a dragon sanctuary, or a dragon prison? Is Dad a caretaker or an inmate?"
Kendra thought about that. "A little of both, I guess."
"My father has decided the time of holding dragons prisoner needs to end. Are we supposed to be trapped here until the end of time? Because of my unusual upbringing, I was never confined to a particular sanctuary. I can come and go. But what about the rest of the dragons? Why can't they ever leave? How will dragons ever rejoin the world if we never get a chance to practice?"
"What if the practice turns into a catastrophe?" Kendra asked.
"Father will supervise the process," Raxtus said. "Dragons have learned so much during our long captivity. Father doesn't want to destroy the world. But he definitely wants enough freedom to be part of it again."
"The last time dragons were free, they almost took over the earth," Kendra said. "My job as caretaker would be to keep dragons at the sanctuary."
"I know," Raxtus said. "That's why it might be a bad idea to take the job."
"Is that a threat?" Kendra asked.
"I'm just trying to warn you."
"You're telling me to leave Wyrmroost?"
"It isn't safe to stay. It just isn't. I don't want to see you get hurt."
Kendra folded her arms. "So you do side with Celebrant on this."
"Weird, right?" Raxtus said. "We were never close. But not long ago he made me part of his personal guard. For dragons, it's a big honour. The other five are amazing veterans of so many battles. Living legends."
"Weren't you going to keep an eye on some of the other dragon sanctuaries for Agad?" Kendra asked.
"That kind of ended when I got my position with the guards."
"This happened after the battle of Zzyzx?" Kendra asked.
"The battle was the turning point," Raxtus said. "My breath weapon might help vegetation grow, and my magic might only be good for hiding and healing, but my scales are as tough as my dad's, and I'm one of the best aerialists, and my teeth and claws are uncommonly sharp. Those strengths became apparent at Zzyzx, and suddenly the Dragon King took an interest."
After his mother had perished and the other three eggs in his clutch had been devoured by a cockatrice, Raxtus had been protected, hatched, and raised by fairies. Fairy magic had become part of his nature, making him unique.
Kendra knew Raxtus had always wanted the respect of other dragons. Especially his father. But how might earning that respect affect their friendship? Unlike other dragons, he had always been on her side.
"If I become caretaker, would you attack me?" Kendra asked.
"No way. But I might not be able to protect you."
"Would you try?" Kendra pressed.
"It wouldn't matter."
"It would matter to me."
"I owe you so much," Raxtus said. "You know we're friends. I'd try to protect you. I'd do my best. You don't understand my father. He is so powerful, Kendra. And he has so many formidable dragons at his command. My dad is coming to interview you. He'll get here soon. He seems excited. I'm worried he might want you and Seth to have the job. I'm afraid he might be thrilled. That is a terrible sign. You don't understand what you're up against. You don't have to do this. You should go."
"Except I do need to do this," Kendra said. "They're low on dragon tamers. There is unrest all over. They need me."
"Kendra, this is me protecting you. Leave. You don't want to be part of this. If they're short on dragon tamers, let Marat keep filling in. It makes much more sense than a couple of kids."
Kendra wanted to explain that Marat might be part of the reason the defences at Blackwell Keep were vulnerable. But what if Raxtus shared the info with his father? Plus Simrin was watching. Even if she could trust Raxtus, sharing that information would look like treachery.
"Thank you for the warning," Kendra said.
"Thanks but no thanks?"
"Pretty much."
"Does that mean you're staying?"
"I'm afraid so. It's my duty."
Raxtus gave a snort. "Some duty. You have to make sure my kind can't govern ourselves. You have to ensure we stay prisoners. Even if it endangers your life."
"You know what dragons can do," Kendra said.
"In some ways I don't," Raxtus said. "The dragons I know have been confined to sanctuaries for my entire life. I'm not sure how they might behave if granted some freedom."
"There are some ruthless dragons," Kendra said. "They could destroy the world just as the demons might have."
"Mortals could destroy the world as well," Raxtus argued. "If my father gains the power to let dragons leave the sanctuary, it doesn't mean he'll allow them to run wild. He could leave the most dangerous dragons at the sanctuaries and keep the others on a short leash."
"But if it gets out of hand, the world ends," Kendra said.
Raxtus sighed, then spoke quietly. "I hear you. And to be honest, when I say Dad could leave the most dangerous dragons at the sanctuaries, that would include just about every dragon I have ever met, including him. But it's complicated. I understand their desire for more freedom. And I don't want to be a traitor to my kind."
"I'm sorry you're stuck in such a difficult—"
Raxtus whipped his head around, neck craning high. "He's coming."
"Your father? Do you see him?"
"His wings make an unmistakable whistling sound," Raxtus said. "I knew he'd come soon. He seemed eager. We have a minute at most. You're determined to stay?"
"Sorry," Kendra said. "I'm in a complicated situation too. We have to stay."
"Then stand tall when you talk to him," Raxtus said. "You'll need all your courage. His presence can sometimes silence other dragons, let alone mortals."
"We'll do our best," Kendra said.
"Go," Raxtus urged. "I'll help all I can."
He disappeared, his presence visible only by a faint ripple in the air. Kendra wished she had the ability to turn invisible too. She felt the wind from his wings as Raxtus took flight.
"Come," Simrin said, leading Kendra back into the keep and locking the iron door behind them, then the gate, then the other door. Mendigo stayed at Kendra's side.
"I can't talk to Celebrant without Seth," Kendra said.
"We'll meet your brother near the Perch," Simrin replied.
"Where?" Kendra asked.
"The platform on the outer wall where caretakers treat with dragons," Simrin said.
"Nobody has told me what to do," Kendra said.
"Show no fear," Simrin said. "Answer his questions. There is little else to discuss."
Following Simrin into a building, Kendra tried to get control of her nerves. How was she supposed to stay calm in front of the Dragon King if she was already scared without him present?
"Do you think Raxtus was right?" Kendra asked.
"On what point?" Simrin asked.
"Should I be here?" Kendra asked. "Should I leave?"
Simrin hissed angrily. "If my opinion makes a difference, you should go."
"I think I should stay."
"Then think it harder," Simrin said. "Either get certain or quit. Your resolve is about to be tested."
They turned a corner and found Seth coming down a hall with Grandma, Grandpa, and Brunwin, the reddish minotaur. "There you are!" Seth called. "Celebrant is here! Did they tell you? Marat is stalling."
"I heard he was coming," Kendra said.
"You don't look so good," Seth said.
"I just talked with Raxtus," Kendra said.
"What?" Seth cried. "You didn't come get me?"
"The dragon asked for your sister," Simrin explained.
"It wasn't fun," Kendra said. "He was warning me. Raxtus thinks we should leave."
Seth shook his head. "Have him get in line. Everyone thinks we're too young. They think it's too dangerous. Maybe we're not the perfect fit. But we're all they've got. We're the last chance to make the defences secure. Don't talk yourself out of it. We already made up our minds."
Kendra stared at her brother. Running Wyrmroost would be difficult and scary. Trying to contain Celebrant and the other dragons would be a daunting challenge. Raxtus had provided an excuse to back out, and part of her wanted to embrace it. But she and Seth had a duty to perform. Many people were depending on them. "You're right," she said.
"You have to be sure," Brunwin emphasized. "Celebrant will press you."
"We're needed here," Seth said.
Kendra took her brother's hand. "Let's get hired."
"Are both of you sure?" Grandma asked.
"We could go home right now," Grandpa said. "That option is still available. If Celebrant approves you and you become the caretakers of Wyrmroost, walking away gets very complicated."
"I've been sure all along," Seth said.
"The warning flustered me a little," Kendra admitted. "But we need to do this."
"This way," Brunwin said. He led them to a heavy iron door. "I don't interact with dragons. If you go through this door and continue straight, you'll find Marat waiting at the Perch with Celebrant."
Kendra squeezed Seth's hand. "Don't let go."
"Not even if you dared me," Seth replied.
Brunwin opened the door. The walkway atop an interior wall of Blackwell Keep ran straight until it reached a fenced wooden platform that projected beyond the outer wall. Marat stood there waiting.
Beyond him towered Celebrant.
The immense dragon loomed head, neck, and shoulders above the wall of the keep. His flawless armor of platinum scales made him look like a much bigger, bulkier version of his son. Where Raxtus was lean and aerodynamic, Celebrant was heavily muscled, with impressive horns sprouting from his head.
"Now, that is a dragon," Seth murmured.
Kendra had seen Celebrant at the battle of Zzyzx, but never up close. Watching him battle demons from a distance was a very different experience from approaching him with his penetrating eyes glaring down, glowing like molten gold. She knew the direct gaze of a dragon could be especially paralyzing, so she did her best to focus on Marat instead.
When Kendra and Seth reached the platform, Marat rested a reassuring hand on Kendra's shoulder. "May I present Kendra and Seth Sorenson, the candidates to replace me as co-caretaker of Wyrmroost and master of this keep."
"So young," Celebrant said in a rumbly bass. "All humans are children to me, but the two of you are children to humans." His articulate words were uncommonly resonant, as if fifty identical recordings of the same voice were being played in unison.
"I'm fifteen," Kendra said.
"Thirteen," Seth added.
"And you can speak in my presence," Celebrant said.
"Yes," Kendra said simply.
His head swooped toward them, jaws gaping large enough to swallow a car, revealing vicious rows of teeth designed to pierce and shred. The great mouth snapped shut almost close enough for Kendra to reach out and touch it.
After initially flinching away, Kendra held her ground. She clenched Seth's hand and he squeezed back. She concentrated on the dragon's nostrils instead of his blazing eyes, trying to stand tall and have courage as Raxtus had advised.
"Can you speak now?" Celebrant roared, the volume hurting her ears, his hot, humid breath washing over them.
Kendra was alarmed, but not frozen. "You're a little close," she said, her voice cracking a bit.
"And you could use a mint," Seth said.
Celebrant reared up again. "Not many mortals can abide my presence," he said calmly, "let alone respond with such insolence. Together you meet the minimum requirements. But what about on your own?"
"They will serve together," Marat said. "All relations with dragons will be handled in tandem."
"Thank you, Marat, but I am more interested in their answers," Celebrant replied.
"Same answer," Seth said. "We're a team."
"And what if you are separated?" Celebrant asked.
"We'll wait to talk to dragons until we're together," Kendra said.
"What about urgent matters?" Celebrant pressed. "What if you're separated during an emergency?"
"We'll stick together," Seth said.
"I hope so," Celebrant said with a dark chuckle. "Inability to perform your most basic duties during a crisis might be considered grounds for removal from your position."
"We'll do our duty," Kendra said.
Celebrant shifted his gaze to Marat. "Am I to be insulted that you wish to instate a pair of human children to function as my equal?"
"Despite their age, Kendra and Seth have proven themselves valiant," Marat said. "She is fairykind and he is a shadow charmer. They are legitimate candidates."
"Yoking me alongside any human caretaker would be an insult," Celebrant said. "Even a wizard." His attention returned to Kendra and Seth. "Are you aware of the dangers involved? Were you told that I have attacked Blackwell Keep three times this past month?"
"Yes," Kendra said.
"I am called Celebrant the Just for good reason," the Dragon King said. "I am powerful but also fair. Consider this your warning. If you accept this position, we will not be on friendly terms unless you share power to control who enters and exits Wyrmroost."
"Those were not the terms you arranged with Agad," Marat protested. "You were to be a co-caretaker, partnering with the caretaker of Blackwell Keep. The caretaker of the keep controls who comes and goes. You were empowered to manage the affairs of the dragons on this preserve. Your authority ends at the gate. You have no power to regulate who passes through it."
Celebrant showed his teeth. "I am not content with this arrangement. I demand the same rights to control access as the caretaker of Blackwell Keep."
"Your contentment is irrelevant," Marat said. "The arrangement cannot be altered."
"Except by mutual agreement between the caretakers," Celebrant said smoothly.
"We won't change the arrangement," Kendra said.
Celebrant glared at her for a long moment. "Then we may find ourselves in conflict. If I were to become the sole caretaker, the power to come and go from Wyrmroost would reside with me. You have been warned."
"Are the applicants acceptable?" Marat asked.
Celebrant drew his head near Kendra and Seth again, sniffing one, then the other. Kendra held still and kept her gaze away from his eyes. Celebrant swung his head over to Marat.
"I will accept the candidates on one condition," Celebrant said. "Make it official right now. Give up your post and instate them as caretakers immediately. Otherwise I will deny them the opportunity."
"Normally we verify our choice with Lord Dalgorel of the Fair Folk," Marat said.
"That is a matter of courtesy, not necessity," Celebrant said. "Dalgorel has no power to veto our selection. It will be as easy to introduce him to the new caretakers as it would be to present them as candidates."
"He will take it as an insult," Marat said.
"Their long-standing position of neutrality makes their reactions irrelevant," Celebrant said. "The endorsement of Dalgorel is a weary custom. This can mark a new tradition. What say you?"
Marat turned to Kendra and Seth. "Are you ready and willing to become the caretakers?"
Kendra hadn't realized it would happen immediately. She looked at Seth.
"Absolutely," her brother said.
Kendra nodded. "Me too."
Marat removed the medallion from around his neck. "Once the caretaker wielded one of the seven scepters and wore this medallion. As part of the agreement with Agad, the scepter went to Celebrant. This medallion marks the wearer as a caretaker of Wyrmroost and master of Blackwell Keep."
"I better wear it," Seth said.
"It is presented to both of you," Marat said. "You can pass it to another only with permission from Celebrant. The two of you share equal authority no matter who wears the medallion."
"I still better wear it," Seth said.
"It's basically a necklace," Kendra said.
"But it means I'm in charge," Seth said.
Kendra glanced at Celebrant. The last thing she wanted to do in front of the Dragon King was conduct an infantile argument about who got to wear the medallion. "He can have it for now."
Marat approached Kendra and Seth. "Do you, Kendra Sorenson, and you, Seth Sorenson, accept the responsibility of watching over and protecting Wyrmroost, along with the living beings contained herein?" He paused for them to answer.
"I do," Kendra said.
"Yes," Seth said.
Marat nodded and continued. "And do you, Kendra Sorenson, and you, Seth Sorenson, vow to protect the outside world from the living beings at Wyrmroost, and to shelter the living beings at Wyrmroost from any outside threats?"
"I do," Kendra said.
"Sure," Seth said.
Marat stepped nearer to Seth. "Then as a current caretaker of Wyrmroost and as master of Blackwell Keep, of my own free will, I hereby confer my stewardship over Wyrmroost to Kendra Sorenson and Seth Sorenson, including all rights pertaining to a designated and official caretaker of this sanctuary together with all privileges available to the master of Blackwell Keep."
When Marat placed the medallion around Seth's neck, Kendra couldn't help feeling a little jealous. Marat shook hands with Seth, then with Kendra. Then he tur ned to Celebrant. "It is done."
Celebrant snarled. "Congratulations, younglings. Enjoy your new status while it lasts." The dragon opened his mouth and a searing blast of blue-white energy erupted forward. Marat raised a golden ax and the energy smeared against an invisible dome covering the platform. The timbers shuddered beneath Kendra's feet, the temperature increased, and the walls of the keep groaned.
"Back," Marat urged, ax held high.
Kendra and Seth retreated off the Perch to the top of the wall. Marat followed more slowly, shuffling until his feet were on the stone of the wall rather than the wood of the platform.
Celebrant paused, eyes vicious, then breathed out another torrent of brilliant energy that spread out along the top of the wall, as if impeded by an unseen barrier. Though dazzling, the attack seemed no more harmful than water against a windshield.
"Get inside," Marat ordered over his shoulder. He placed a mask over his face. It looked ancient, and of Asian design.
Kendra and Seth withdrew along the top of the interior wall toward the metal door from which they had emerged. Marat remained atop the outer wall, his golden ax raised in defiance against the energy smeared across the transparent barrier protecting the keep. He looked so small in contrast to the immensity of Celebrant. Kendra realized that without the magical barrier shielding Blackwell Keep, they would all be extremely dead. Would there even be ashes left?
"Begone, Celebrant," Marat called. "You can do us no harm. By disrespecting these new caretakers you undermine your own authority."
After the deluge of radiant energy stopped, Celebrant leaned his head closer to Marat and exhaled a searing conflagration of fire. Most of the flames flattened against the unseen barrier, but some licked through, only to be repelled by an invisible dome around Marat. Celebrant tipped his head back and shot a geyser of flame into the sky. Then, roaring, the Dragon King seized the Perch with his mighty forelegs and wrenched it from the wall, hurling the entire platform to the ground. After exhaling a final blistering firestorm, Celebrant turned and flew away, wings whistling as his enormity surged skyward.