Ember Hill, he said in a soft but perfectly audible voice. His dark gaze slid to me. Ex-Agent Cobalt. My master sends his greetings.
Ember tensed, as did St. George. The two guards did, as well, hands straying toward their weapons. The man at the table, however, remained as serene as ever. I stepped forward, feeling Cobalt rise, responding to a potential threat. And who would that be? I growled.
Forgive me, ex-Agent. The man bowed his head. But my master would rather not discuss business with the soldiers of St. George within earshot. His gaze flicked briefly to Martin and the soldier. This message, and the terms that come with it, are for you and Miss Hill alone. Sebastian may stay, if he likes, he went on, and I stiffened. That he knew the soldiers name, as well...who was this human? And who was this mysterious master who knew us all? But the rest of St. George must leave. My master was quite insistent that this was for your ears alone.
I dont think so, Martin said. Youre in Order territory, sitting in a St. George chapterhouse. Anything you want to tell the dragons, you can inform us of, as well.
Come now, Lieutenant, the man went on in a reasonable voice. Surely you can see I am not a threat. I am no dragon, no soldier. I am not armed. Your soldiers have already determined that I am wearing no wires or transmitters. Two dragons and a former soldier of St. George should have no trouble with a frail old man. His thin lips twitched. But feel free to shackle me to the table, if you are that worried.
Who are you? I growled. Frail old man, my ass. He obviously knew far too much to be harmless. How the hell do you know who we are, or that wed be here, for that matter?
I will tell you, the stranger said, and refolded his hands to the table. Once St. George is out of the room.
I looked at Martin. He stood for a moment, rigid and silent, his jaw set, before he nodded once and jerked his head at the soldiers flanking the man. They gave him worried looks but immediately turned and walked out. Martin watched the stranger a moment more, dark eyes appraising, before he turned to Sebastian.
Well be just outside. Call if you need us.
Yes, sir, the soldier replied.
The officer gave the figure at the table one last glance and walked out of the room. The door closed behind him, and we were alone with the stranger.
The man didnt move. All right, I said, stepping forward. You got your wish. St. George is gone. So start talking, human. You obviously know who we are, what we are and probably why were here. Theres only one possible group I can think of with that kind of information.
I am not from Talon, the man said. Let us get that suspicion out of the way right now. You have no reason to fear me. I represent a single individual, not an organization. Though Talon is part of the reason I have come. My master has sent me here with a message. He wishes to meet you, ex-Agent Cobalt. You and Miss Hill. There are things he wishes to discuss.
Uh-huh. And were supposed to drop everything and go meet with this mysterious individual right now, am I correct? Sorry, but Im going to need a little more than that. Especially since we dont even know this persons name, or yours, for that matter.
My name is not important, said the stranger. I am simply his voice. His name, however, you might have heard before, ex-Agent Cobalt. My master calls himself Ouroboros.
Ouroboros?
The bottom dropped out of my stomach. I felt Ember and St. George watching me, and suspected I looked as stunned as I felt. Thats not possible, I stated. Ouroboros is...
A legend? the old man answered with the hint of a smile. A myth?
Dead, I said flatly. The dragon known as Ouroboros is supposedly dead. After he went rogue, no one has seen him
In over three hundred years, the stranger finished. Yes, that is what Talon would have you believe. However, Ouroboros is very much alive, ex-Agent Cobalt. And he sent me here to find you and the daughter of the Elder Wyrm. His gaze shifted to Ember, who straightened quickly. He has something to discuss with you. In person.
Ember glanced from the old man to me. I take it this... Ouroboros is important? she asked. Who is he, anyway?
I took a deep breath. Ouroboros, I began, hearing the awe in my own voice, is a Wyrm. An old, old Wyrm. Right behind our infamous leader of Talon, hes the oldest dragon in the known world.
Embers brows arched. Oh, she said.
Yeah. I nodded. So, hes kind of a big deal. Even though hes not supposed to exist. A long time agoand Im talking over three hundred years, mindOuroboros and the Elder Wyrm had a disagreement. Everyone has forgotten what it was about, but they think it had something to do with Talon, and the direction the Elder Wyrm was taking it. The stories say the fight was everything from an argument to a full-blown, Godzilla versus Mothrastyle throw down, but in the end, Ouroboros left Talon and went rogue. The very first dragon to do so. He just...disappeared. The official consensus in Talon was that hed died, but there is a legend, among rogues especially, that claims that somehow Ouroboros survived and is still out there. Hiding from Talon, managing to stay off their radar all this time. Riley shook his head. Of course, it was always just a myth. No one has seen or heard anything from Ouroboros since the day he fled Talon.
St. George looked at the man sitting at the table. Not so much of a myth, it appears.
No. I narrowed my gaze at the stranger, suspicion rising up like dark flame. So if what you say is true, I said, and Ouroboros is alive, where the hell has he been all this time? Why hasnt he done anything? Does he not care that weve all been dying, thanks to Talon and St. George? Hes probably the only one who can go head-to-head with the Elder Wyrm and have a sliver of a chance. Why hasnt he ever made himself known, contacted the rogues at the very least? Why now?
I do not presume to know the mind of Ouroboros, the human stated. I have come to deliver his message, nothing more. I do know that contacting anyone by modern means, such as phones, computers, and the like, has never been his preference. Phones can be traced. Computers can be hacked. Ouroboros is a bit of a...traditionalist, if you would. If you wish to know the answers to your questions, you will have to go to him and ask him yourself.
I growled in frustration. Fine. Where is he?
The man blinked. Forgive me, ex-Agent, he said, still in that supremely calm voice. Im afraid I cannot tell you that. He raised a hand as I stepped forward. You, of all people, should know the lengths to which a rogue will go to keep their location a secret.
Then how are we supposed to find him? Ember wanted to know.
If you agree to meet my master, I will take you to where you must go. I warn you, however. It is a lengthy journey. Ouroboros is not here, in the United States. Hiding himself so well meant cutting himself off from nearly all of civilization. The trip to meet him will take some time.
Time we really dont have, I snapped. Theres a war happening now, and Talon is on the move. I cant leave the hatchlings to go traipsing halfway around the world for a chat.
Even if that chat is with Ouroboros? the stranger asked mildly. The First Rogue? One of only four great Wyrms in the entire world? Who knew the Elder Wyrm centuries ago, who is the second most powerful dragon your kind has ever known? I would think that you, ex-Agent Cobalt, with your network of dragons trying to hide from Talon, would be especially eager to see why Ouroboros has called for you.
Hey, dont get me wrong. I held up a hand. I would love to meet Ouroboros and pick his brain a little. Particularly on how hes stayed off Talons radar for the past three hundred years. I raked a palm over my scalp. But this is a really bad time. I cant leave the hatchlings now. Talon is still after us, and theres probably not much time until they launch their second phase of attack, whatever it may be. I have to get my underground as far away as I can before that happens.
Ember looked at me, then back to the man at the table. Do we have to give you an answer now? she asked.
No, Miss Hill. The man shook his head. Please take your time. Talk among yourselves. Decide what you want to do. But...remember that Ouroboros is not a patient Wyrm, nor one that forgives or forgets. His voice remained the same, serene and matter-of-fact. It was not a threat, merely a statement, but I felt the warning reverberate through me all the same. He has no tolerance for those who waste his time. If you refuse this offer now, it will not be made again in your lifetimes. So please choose carefully.
* * *
Bloody freaking hell, Wes remarked. Ouroboros? The First Rogue? Thats bloody impossible. I thought he was... I mean, isnt he supposed to be...
Nonexistent. This from Mist, leaning against the far wall. Leaving the stranger under the dubious watch of a couple soldiers, Ember, St. George and I had retreated to our temporary quarters on the other side of the base. Now, the three of us were gathered in Wess room, along with two other dragons who had joined us recently: Mist, a former Basilisk agent whose motives for being here were still shady as hell, and Jade, an Adult Eastern dragon with a fondness for tea and being aloof.
Ouroboros is a myth, Mist said. An urban legend the rogues keep alive to give them hope. Her long silver hair glowed dully in the shadowy corner shed claimed as hers. Even though there were still a few hours of daylight left, the curtains were drawn and the lights were turned off. The only luminance came from the screen of Wess laptop on the desk, because my human hacker friend seemed as allergic to sunlight as a vampire.
He isnt real, the girl insisted. Everyone in Talon knows Ouroboros died long ago. After all this time, we would have seen or heard something.
Yeah, well, tell that to the human sitting in St. Georges conference room, I said, jerking my thumb back at the closed door. Because hes either eaten too many magic mushrooms, or he says that the First Rogue is not only real, he wants to meet with us.
Jade, standing quietly beside a wardrobe, regarded me with interest. If Ouroboros indeed lives and has called for you, it would be wise to go. One does not receive a summons from an ancient Wyrm often, if ever.
Yeah, but... I scrubbed both hands through my hair, frustration warring with curiosity. Of course I wanted to go. This was Ouroboros, the First Rogue. The legend who had hidden his existence from Talon so well that everyone, inside the organization and out, had thought he was dead. For three hundred years. I would kill to learn his secrets.
But if I left, what would happen to my underground if Talon came for us again? My network was brave; they had fought Talons clone army and had turned the tide for St. George. Without our intervention, the Order would have been slaughtered.
The cost was high, far too high. Some of them hadnt made it. Five hatchlings were dead, buried in the desert sand with the soldiers they had fought beside. I knew them all by name; I remembered the day Id taken each of them away from Talon, with the promise of a better life, one that was free.
Youre worried about the others, Ember said quietly.
Of course I am, I answered. I cant leave them alone now. Its too dangerous. Talon is actively trying to kill us, and they have a huge clone army to do it. I dont dare send them back to the safe housesthe nests have all been compromised. I have one place left for us to go, and I can only hope Talon hasnt found it.
I take it were going back to the farm, Wes stated, and I nodded. He sighed. Well, hell, Riley, I can take them there. Its not rocket science to drive a bloody van.
As I stared at him in shock, Jade broke in, as well. And if you are worried about their safety, she said, put your mind at ease. I will remain with them until you return. Talon will not threaten any of the hatchlings while they are under my watch.
I... Are you two feeling all right? I wondered, aghast. What the hell was going on here? Wes hated people, and teenagers especially. And Jade barely knew us. Whats gotten into you two? I asked, frowning. If I didnt know better, Id say you were doing everything to get me to leave except physically pushing me out the door.
Riley. Wes gave me one of his patented Im surrounded by idiots looks. Think about it. Ouroboros is the second-oldest dragon in the world, and hes at odds with the bloody Elder Wyrm. What would happen if we convinced him to fight for us? The hacker shook his head at me. If you cant see the potential there, mate, then I really have no hope for you at all.
Yes, Jade added with a somber nod. Know thyself, know thine enemies. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.
What the hell does that mean?
That we are at war. The Eastern dragon gave me a look that was nearly as impressively disdainful as Wess. And knowing our enemy will be the key to overcoming them. Knowledge is the greatest weapon we have, and who better to obtain this knowledge from than one who has lived longer than nearly everyone else on the planet?
And I know you, Riley, Ember broke in. You want to meet with Ouroboros. If you miss this chance, youre going to be kicking yourself for the rest of your life.
Agreed, Mist added. If I was summoned by a legend, I would make that a top priority, but thats just me.
I sighed. I wonder if you people realize that Im the leader of this underground, I remarked. Just throwing that out there, in case youve forgotten. As expected, no one seemed impressed, and I shook my head in defeat. All right, I suppose were going to see what the First Rogue wants with us. Wes, Jade, if youre sure youve got the hatchlings...
Oh, will you just go already, Wes said. You sound like a bloody nursemaid.
Ember
The present
The humans surrounded us, silent as wraiths in the darkness of the jungle. There were close to a dozen of them, dark skinned and mostly naked, wearing loincloths and necklaces of shell and bone. Most carried crude wooden spears, which theyd pointed at us in a bristling ring of spikes. A few outside the circle held bows and arrows. None of them spoke, or made any sound at all. They simply watched us with unreadable black eyes.