The Shadow Dragons - James A. Owen [123]
“One was enough.”
Kipling nodded. “I lost my son, and my world changed. If a million more had died in grander battles, it would have made no difference to me—it was already more of a burden than I could bear.
“No,” he finished, looking at the sky, “what great things we did today were done despite the terrible cost. But they would not have been made greater had the price we paid been more terrible still.”
Kipling clapped John on the shoulder and turned away. “We don’t always get the ending we hope for, lad,” he called back, “but if we work hard enough to earn it, we sometimes get the ending we deserve.”
“So my ancestor was your cousin, hundreds of years ago,” Stephen said. “Does that make you my aunt?”
“That’s probably as close as anything,” said Rose, as she looked up at the still dark skies. “What do we do now?”
“How do we go about freeing the Dragons?” Jack asked Samaranth. “The Shadow King didn’t create them the same way he did the Shadow-Born, so I’m guessing the cauldron is going to be of no help.”
“You guess correctly. The Dragons are not creatures such as yourselves,” Samaranth said slowly, his voice a low rumble. “They cannot be restored with a magic jar, as you did with the Shadow-Born. For a Dragon, its shadow is too intrinsically a part of its being to be severed. So when the Shadow King was cutting into them with the spear, he was not merely severing their shadows—he was ending their lives as Dragons upon this Earth. And he was only able to do that much because he knew their True Names.
“Rose can do nothing now but release the spirits that are left.”
“They’ll die?” said Rose. “I can’t do that! I won’t!”
“You must,” Samaranth said sadly. “They cannot return to what they were. All we can do now is liberate them.”
The Caretakers and the others on top of the hill circled around Rose in support, as she slowly realized that it was indeed her responsibility.
The sword suddenly felt a great deal heavier as she realized that in some way, she had known all along what she would be asked to do.
“All right,” she said finally. “What must I do?”
“You know the words of Summoning,” said Samaranth, “and this entire group of islands is a Ring of Power. Summon them here, and then you’ll be able to release them.”
It took a very long time.
... Hallward was just completing the varnish on a painting.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Justice and Mercy
The Funeral for Artus was small. Later, there could be a full ceremonial service on Paralon so that the entire Archipelago could mourn. But for now, only the three Caretakers and Bert, Aven and Stephen, Rose and Quixote, and the Dragon Samaranth were present as the king’s body was lowered into the earth.
He was buried opposite the grave of Nemo, on Terminus. Both graves were within sight of the ring of stones.
“This is where he wanted to be buried,” said Aven. “He said that this was the place where he grew up.”
“I thought he’d always lived on Avalon,” said Charles.
“Not that kind of ‘grew up,’” said Jack. “This is where he stopped being a boy and became a man. It’s where he became a king, when he summoned the Dragons.”
“He fulfilled his destiny,” said Aven. “He was the last king of the Archipelago, the last to sit upon the Silver Throne. And he honored his calling more than anyone could have imagined.”
“The first time we met,” said Samaranth, “he had a bucket on his head, a wooden sword, and a deep desire to become a great knight. I knew, even then, what his destiny was to be, and so I encouraged him the best that I was able.”
“This may be an indelicate time to address this,” said John, “but do I understand you correctly that Stephen will not be assuming his father’s place on the Silver Throne?”
“The Silver Throne will be kept,” said Stephen, “and I’ll keep the title of king, if only to