Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising

the pieces aside. Far away, Rupert thought he heard something scream in agony, and then fall silent. The Demon Prince turned to the Astrologer, and reached out an imperious hand. Thomas Grey leaped immediately to his feet and hurried over to present his master with the Curtana. The Dark Prince hefted the sword in his hand, and the glowing steel blade burst into searing flames. Within the space of a few seconds, nothing remained of the Sword of Compulsion but a pool of molten metal steaming on the ground, with a few dull jewels floating in it. Rupert quickly tested the compulsion that held him. It seemed a little weaker, but its hold still lingered on under the influence of the Wild Magic.
    'You have done well, my slave,' said the Demon Prince to the bowing Astrologer. 'All my enemies are now gathered in one place, and the only remaining swords that might have harmed me are now
    destroyed.'
    He broke off suddenly, and darted over to where Julia was reaching out her hand to retrieve the sword she'd dropped. She'd just wrapped her fingers round the swordhilt when the Demon Prince brought his heel down hard. There was a sound of bones breaking. The Demon Prince ground Julia's crushed fingers under his heel, but she wouldn't cry out. He chuckled quietly, enjoying the agony in her face, and then he lifted his foot away and turned back to the Astrologer. Even in the dim light, Rupert could see that Julia's hand was now nothing more than a mess of blood and splintered bones. She tried to lift her sword anyway, and it fell from her crippled hand. The Demon Prince didn't even look round. He seated himself elegantly on his throne of decaying wood, with the Astrologer at his right hand, and looked coldly upon his fallen enemies.
    'Well?' said the Demon Prince, his quiet voice subtly grating on the ear. 'Have you nothing to say to me?
    After all, you've waited so long to meet me ... what about you, dragon? We're two of a kind, you and I.
    We can still remember when the world was young, and we were powers on the earth. Things have changed since then, since man came into the world. You've grown old, dragon, old and weak. Magic was going out of the world, and you were going with it. But now the Blue Moon is full, and the Wild Magic has returned. Forget the humans. Serve me and watch dragonkind grow strong again.'
    The dragon slowly lifted his great head, fighting grimly against the geas that held him prisoner.
    'Answer me,' said the Demon Prince.
    'Rot in hell,' said the dragon. 'Julia and Rupert are my friends, and I'll not betray them to a Prince of decaying trees.'
    Fire roared from his mouth, only to fall harmlessly to the ground, unable to reach the Demon Prince. The flames sputtered on the oily moss, and went out.
    'Foolish animal,' said the Demon Prince. 'Go to sleep.'
    The dragon's eyes closed, and his head fell heavily to the ground. The Demon Prince moved over to stand before him, and kicked him in the face. Golden blood trickled down the dragon's muzzle. The Demon Prince kicked him again.
    Rupert slowly pulled one leg up under him, fighting the geas every inch of the way. He could see his sword, lying on the ground between him and the King, but it was well out of reach. One good jump would be enough to get him to it, but as yet the compulsion was still too strong. Rupert slowly brought his other leg into position, and waited with a cold and patient fury for the geas to die away.
    'You planned this all along, Thomas,' said King John dully. The light had gone out of his eyes, and his face was an empty mask, wiped clean by pain and shock. 'You poisoned your fellow sorcerers.'
    The Astrologer chuckled happily.
    'Why?' groaned the King. 'Why turn against the Forest? Against me?'
    'Answer him, slave,' said the Demon Prince. 'His despair amuses me.'
    'You, John,' said Thomas Grey, smiling crookedly. 'You and your damned throne. Thirty years and more I spent propping you up, making your decisions for you, but what did I ever get out of it? All those years
    living in your shadow, doing your scutwork, while you had all the wealth and the power. I could have been somebody, John! I could have been somebody in my own right, maybe even a Sorcerer Supreme!
    But I gave that up to go with you, because you needed me. I would have made a far better King than you. Lots of people said so, but no, I stayed loyal. You were my friend. And then, years later, I finally realised I had no more power or station or wealth of my own than the day I