Brave Story - Miyuki Miyabe [334]
Jozo’s mother lowered her head to the ground. It was his father who spoke. “If the wyrmking allows it, then yes.”
“What?” Wataru turned back to the wyrmking. The wyrmking’s eyelids lifted slightly, and he looked at Jozo. “Jozo. This will not be an easy battle.”
“I understand.”
“Even as we speak here, I feel the time of the seal’s breaking approaching. Danger is upon us. The demonkin are destructive and powerful. You would still go with the Traveler?”
Jozo shook once from head to tail, then said, “Wataru saved my life. I will go with him!”
“Then it is done,” the wyrmking said, lowering his eyelids once again.
“Once one is bound to a Traveler, one is bound to duty as the descendant of the great protector, the firewyrm himself.”
Those sleepy, half-lidded eyes turned back to Wataru. He could feel their gaze upon him, scalding his skin. “Traveler. Jozo will aid you. Be sure that he returns to the Isle of Dragon at your journey’s end.”
Wataru swore he would, his fists tightly clenched by his sides.
“Then I wish you luck in battle. May the Goddess of Destiny protect you.”
All the dragons gathered and repeated the wyrmking’s words in a great chorus, until the cavern was filled with the echoing words of their prayers.
Chapter 48
The Broken Capital
The seven pillars flew in formation, like an archipelago in the sky. They beat their powerful wings with the currents in the wind that flowed far above the sea. Kutz rode on the neck of the dragon in the lead. Jozo, carrying Wataru and the others, brought up the rear. He pushed himself to the limit so as not to fall behind the group.
They were making straight for Solebria, the capital of the Northern Empire. The wyrmking had told them that the Mirror of Eternal Shadow lay in the very center of the capital’s palace.
“The Northern Empire protects the mirror not just with the Crown of the Seal but with powerful magical barriers. As it stands, no one without knowledge of these barriers may find it. But your friend—the other Traveler—is a powerful sorcerer. He will do whatever it takes to dissolve any obstacle in his path. Undoubtedly, he will break through to the chamber wherein lies the Mirror of Eternal Shadow. Before he destroys the wall of magic, we will not be able to find it. Yet if we wait too long after he destroys it, we will be too late. Our window of opportunity is brief.”
The dragons flew at a tremendous speed. Wataru clung tightly to Jozo’s back. Faster, faster! To Mitsuru!
Before long, the coastline of the north appeared on the horizon. The calm sea and the ground below them looked as peaceful as it did in the south, yet the sky above them was thin and frozen.
“What…what’s that?” Kutz pointed ahead, shouting.
In the distance several lines of smoke were trailing up from the ground into the sky.
“That’s the direction of the capital!” one of the seven pillars said. “It’s a fire! The city’s on fire!”
The dragons increased their speed, and before long, they could see the giant capital city, the walled metropolis of Solebria. It was falling apart. The great gates set into the castle walls had burned down and people could be seen running in panic. Dust and smoke rose from the many-colored roofs of the clustered houses beyond the wall.
“What’s going on down there?” Kutz growled, leaning forward over the dragon’s head. The dragons pinned back their wings and picked up speed as they descended. They dropped until they were directly over Solebria.
Buildings had collapsed into the streets and flames shot up from the rubble. Smoke flowed through the air like a noxious river. To the right, a section of the castle wall itself had collapsed. Directly beneath them, houses were toppling to the ground. The echoes of destruction and the hot wind blasting past mingled with the people’s screams.
“What’s going on?” Wataru stuck his head over the edge of Jozo’s wing, and spotted several things moving through the vast city below. They looked like people, but