The Dragon Nimbus Novels: Volume I: Volume I

should be recovering now that Shayla is flying.” Krej gestured his dismissal of the matter.
    “We will address that issue now, since you created the war.” Darville’s mouth lifted in an involuntarily growl. He needed to sink his teeth into Krej’s neck and taste the hot blood. He needed to kill!
    With great effort he mastered his bestial urges.
    “My lords,” a tired voice whispered. A man in the royal livery looked to both Darville and Krej, not knowing who should receive the message. “My lords,” he spoke a little louder to the entire company. “King Darcine is dead. He passed into the dimensions beyond at dawn yesterday.”
    Silence descended over the room with a crash. Then a hubbub of questioning voices arose like a roar. The noise was no louder than Shayla’s own cry of mourning. She let forth one mighty blast of dragon fire against the outside wall. Wood and stone exploded outward. The stench of burning Tambootie engulfed the room.
    Heavily, clumsily, Shayla lumbered toward the gateway she had made. Her wings flapped in the limited space, gathering speed.
    The wind created by her laboring pinions pushed Darville back into the crowd. He reached out a protective arm toward the dragon. Only Jaylor, still lying on the floor in the boneless heap where he had collapsed, and Brevelan kneeling at his side, remained in the center of the room.
    With one last mighty sweep of wings and tail, Shayla bellowed forth her anger and launched herself into the dark night. The other animals shook free of the last traces of magic and followed her.
    “Shayla, come back to me,” Brevelan whispered through her tears.
    Not while the evil one lives. He has killed my king.
    Darville gave the assembly a moment to think about the awesome sight of a dragon in their midst.
    “My father is dead. I am the next legal heir,” Darville announced to one and all.
     
    If only life were that simple, Baamin wailed to himself. “The king is dead,” he bowed his head in a moment of grief for his old friend. “There are two claimants to the throne, Darville as prince and Krej as duly elected Lord Regent. Shayla has flown away without naming her enemy and without consecrating the next king. She has gone and has taken her mates with her.” He faced the crowd and allowed the gravity of the situation to sink into their minds.
    “Who now decides how we should be governed? Council and Commune must come to an agreement.” The old magician was suddenly weary and doubtful of the outcome of that agreement.
    “Without dragons, there can be no legal magic and therefore no Commune,” Krej reminded them all.
    Baamin has witnessed the tremendous power working through Jaylor, tonight. Boy—Yaakke, as he preferred to be called—possessed power as well. With a few more like them he could play watchdog over individual magicians to keep them ethical and controlled. The Commune could still serve a purpose.
    But the throne was in contention. Baamin’s Commune would support Darville, give him the edge to control the Twelve.
    “I’ve lost ten farms, two dozen people, and more, to the raids across the border in the last few weeks,” one lord spoke up at last. “I have to support Lord Krej as regent if not king. He’s shown what he can do for this kingdom. Darville’s young yet. Untried and still showing signs of his ordeal with wolves.”
    Lord Andrall from the extreme north stepped forward to stand beside Darville. “What has Krej done for this country? The army is routed, the battles have all been lost. He’s lied to us repeatedly. And how does he know what is happening on the field of battle if he isn’t using magic?” Andrall swung his gaze back to the regent with malice. “I’ve never trusted you, Krej. I didn’t vote for your regency. Now I stand by my lawful prince. I think once we’ve heard his adventures, we’ll all agree he’s had enough experience to launch the next campaign against our enemies.”
    Baamin looked about in distress. This was what he feared most. The Great Wars of Disruption had begun under similar circumstances. He had to reconvene the Commune immediately.
    “While the king was so ill, it was our right to elect a regent. The dragon didn’t approve Darville as king. How do we know he’s not the ‘evil one’ she mentioned? I stand by Lord Krej.” Lord Jonnias moved to stand beside the regent.
    One by one the lords moved to the side of their chosen commander. Against the wall their ladies separated