Stone Dragon (The First Realm) by Klay Testamark Page A

going to talk about your loyalties. In the meantime, tell the head of your order that he may hunt this dragon so long as he doesn’t hamper my own efforts. No doubt the public will want the dragon’s head.”
    “He seemed to know all this already. He probably has other assets in the city.”
    “We’ll talk about this later. My dear? Please drop the screen. I must coordinate the cleanup.”
    Tari dispelled the working and the sounds of the hall rushed in. To Findecano, the many subdued conversations sounded like a military camp after a battle. The spy bowed, invisible to everyone else, and left.
    “That man concerns me,” Tari said.
    “A nice enough boy, for an assassin.”
    Her eyes widened. “Surely you’re not going to introduce her to Meerwen?”
    He scratched his chin. “There’s an idea. At least he won’t transform into a dragon.”
    They walked over to the mage who’d lost his head. He lay in a body bag. The plastic was too flat above the shoulders.
    “Did you know him?” Tari asked.
    “Feniel Tarhassdorien. I handled his exit interview. I’m going to have to call his mother.”
    She reached over and squeezed his arm. “These things happen.”
    He shook his head. “I thought our generation was the last to deal with dragons. They’re damn hard to kill. I would’ve stopped Meerwen, but she ran out so quickly. Now she’s—”
    “Mother! Father!”
    Meerwen hobbled in, supported by a pair of royal guardsmen. She shook free and moved to hug her parents. “I’m so glad to see you both!”
    “Why are you all muddy?” her mother asked. “You’ve ruined that dress!”
    Meerwen grinned. “I did the old bullet drop, punched a hole in the dragon. Splashed into a lake, had to pull myself out of the lake bottom.”
    “Did you kill it?” her father asked.
    She shook her head. “It flew on. We haven’t found its body.”
    “Milord,” said Findecano’s secretary. “I’m swamped with messages from the city council. They demand action against this rogue wizard or dragon, whatever Angrod Veneanar has become.”
    “I’m already making a list of the mages and knights that will be on the task force.”
    Meerwen saluted, thumping her chest with her fist. “My Lord Governor, I formally request to lead that force.”
    “You, my daughter?”
    “I am an officer of the royal guard, and as a mage and knight I’m qualified to lead both warriors and wizards.”
    Findecano scratched his chin. On one hand, this was a chance to gain more glory for House Elanesse. On the other hand, this was his baby girl.
    “Sire, this dragon must be hunted down,” she said.
    “The dragon has a name, remember?” Tari said. “Have you forgotten that he’s the reason you’re wearing a low-cut gown?”
    Findecano coughed. “Is there anything else?” he asked his secretary.
    The blonde elf glanced at her notes. “You’re under considerable pressure from various special interest groups, all of them demanding action. One such group, BADD, is baying for the dragon’s blood.”
    “BADD?” Meerwen asked.
    “Bothered About Dangerous Dragons.”
    * * *
    I woke naked and in a hole.
    It says something about an elf’s drinking habits that I didn’t see anything wrong with either of that. I ached all over, and I needed to use magic to soothe my joints and muscles. Again, that was to be expected.
    I was in a forest, but for some reason the earth was torn up to one side. As if something had crashed, skipped, and crashed again, plowing up the ground as it went. Trees had been knocked down, and the ones bordering the clearing were branchless and splintered.
    I’d forgotten something. I looked down at the hole. It was shaped vaguely like… what…?
    Oh, hell.
    I’d done that! I’d turned into a dragon and murdered my master. I’d also fought several combat mages and killed a few. I was perversely proud of that, but then I despaired. Valandil, a man I’d known twenty years, was dead by my hand. So were others.
    If that