Scourge of the Dragons by Cody J. Sherer

he’ll even
have Empress Melisandre seeing the truth,” Hadrin said.
    “Kindness such as yours is hard to find
these days, even amongst the elves. It is truly refreshing,” she
said.
    “You have me at a loss for words.”
    “I’ll bet you say that to all the elven
maidens back home.”
    “They don’t often talk to me when they see
what the scourge has done.” Hadrin pulled off his gauntlet and
showed her the small blue tendrils that had recently spread to the
back of his hand.
    “It is quite commendable to see someone
brave enough to accept such a burden so readily. More often than
not, people are unwilling to take on even the smallest of
responsibilities.”
    “I’m not sure I ever had much of a choice.
The evening realms would fall apart without someone to replace my
father. A Prince can’t just step down because he doesn’t want to
take on the burdens that come with ruling.”
    “You certainly know how to turn a compliment
into a negative situation.”
    “He has a hard time taking a compliment, go
easy on him or you might scare him off,” Wrotan said as he turned
back to look at the two of them.
    “Have you been eavesdropping on our
conversation?” Alandra asked.
    “Not by choice, but I did catch bits and
pieces. My apologies.”
    “He has done nothing wrong, leave him be,”
Hadrin said.
    “Not that a little flirting between my
traveling companions is any of my business, but the two of you
should cut each other a little slack. I may not know even the
slightest thing about elven politics, but I do know that it
shouldn’t get in the way of two people getting to know each other,”
the hunter said.
    “I think you’ve mistaken what has
transpired, my friend. Alandra and I were simply making
conversation.”
    “Right, innocent conversation. I’ll remember
that next time it happens.”
    “Let’s just talk about something else,”
Alandra said.
    “Might be best if we stay quiet. The woods
are home to more than just elves.”
The Forest Realms
    Mariah spotted the elves before any of the
others. They were thinner than she expected, but she surmised that
the elves from different lands each had their own unique look. She
reached out and took the knife from Julian. He was about to protest
when he noticed several elves coming out from behind the trees.
There were ten of them in total. All but one of them, their leader,
had their weapons drawn. Amber and Kade stopped and looked at one
another. Julian started to take a step back before stopping
himself. Mariah looked back over her shoulder, making it seem as
though she were checking on the other two. She counted five more
elves behind them. Their leader stepped forward with his hand on
his sword hilt. He examined the group for a moment before
speaking.
    “You best be careful what you do with that
knife,” he said.
    “I take it that was a promise and not a
threat. Why so wary?” Mariah asked.
    “It isn’t your business.”
    “You make it seem as though you just don’t
like the idea of humans in your lands.”
    “We haven’t had the best of histories, our
two peoples. I’m sure you already know that. That having been said,
it doesn’t look like you are planning an invasion. I’ll give this
as a warning, the elven lands are in a bit of turmoil right
now.”
    “Is there any way we can assist?” Kade asked
as he stepped forward.
    “I doubt it. The sun elves and the night
elves look to be gearing for war. That places the forest elves and
the sea elves in the middle of things. Unless one of you is an
extremely powerful wizard or the best diplomat known to the world,
there is little that can be done. Though, your offer will be
remembered,” the leader replied.
    “We are looking for a safe place to stay
before moving on. Can you provide that for us?” Mariah asked.
    “You can find lodging at one of our outposts
or waystations. We haven’t any real cities, not in the way that you
would think of them. Your best bet for affordable lodging would