And the shimmering dust of the towers reformed into bridges. Bridges of adamantine stone reaching out into elsewhere.
And when it was done . . .
Fionn felt the great flow of energies rushing back and flowing in. He looked at where the tower had stood, at the bridge from the island of Arcady to the distant forests, elsewhere. To rolling hills and limitless dusty plains, and towering mountains and seas that ranged from limpid blue to surging gray, and to dark places that rumbled with fire. To the great ring of worlds, plane linked to plane and linked to this magical place.
And then he realized that he was no longer holding her hand in his.
Groblek and the Sea stood next to him. There was sadness and understanding in their eyes.
"Where is she?" he demanded.
"She's been drawn back to where she came from, Fionn," said Groblek. "She was the one thing that was not of this place. She unbalanced it. She knew that would happen. And she knew the cost of her not going back."
"What . . . what could that be?" asked Fionn, his mouth dry.
"You," said the Sea. "This place must balance or you would die. She chose that that would not happen."
Díleas looked around at the emptiness where the heart of his world should be. He put his head back and howled.
Fionn felt like joining him.
Then the black-and-white sheepdog got up, and started walking towards the new bridge.
For a moment Fionn just looked at him. Then he picked up his bag and followed. "We'll find her, boy," said Fionn. "Somewhere, somehow, we'll find her. There is always a way."
Dog and dragon walked out together, into the endless ring of worlds.
Glossary
Alba
alvar capital on Yenfar.
Arcady
sprite's sacred island warmed by a warm ocean current.
Angmarad
treasure of merrows.
Cark
island used by fire-being to train troops of janissaries on.
Conclave
a meeting place for dragons on the artificially-near magically supported moon.
Cliff Cove
Meb's home village.
Dark pool
the foreseeing pool of the centaurs.
Malarset
island to the south west of Arcady.
Tarport
the main harbour of Yenfar.
Thessalia, Laconia and Lapithidia
island territory of the centaurs.
the dragon Vorlian's demesnes.
Sea of the dead/land beneath the waves
area within the underwater caldera with Starsey, Pallin and Morth forming the edges.
Soul traps
made of human hair with the souls of drowned sailors inside.
Yenfar
large island ruled by Zuamar that Meb lives on.
Intelligent species (are magically effective against next two, have power over various magics)
Fire-beings
fire, heat, energy.
Humans
earth magic.
Dvergar
metal, artifice.
Sprites/Lyr
land plants, trees.
Merrows
water, sea more than fresh water.
Centaurs
wind.
Alvar
light.
Dragons
are able to generate fire that will even disassociate fire-beings.
Treasures
Fire-beings
hell-flame (held by dragons).
Humans
copper bottomed cauldron of plenty (held by sprites).
Dvergar
hammer of artifice (held by merrows).
Sprites/Lyr
staff (held by centaurs).
Merrows
Centaurs
windsack—the breath of the nation (held by fire-beings).
Alvar
silver harp of Tirithu (held by fire-beings).
Dragons
golden dragon (held by dvergar).
About the Author
Dave Freer is an Ichthyologist turned author because he'd heard that the spelling requirements were simpler. They lied about that. He lives in a remote part of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with his wife and chief proofreader, Barbara, four dogs and four cats, two sons (Paddy and James) and just at the moment no shrews, birds, bats or any other rescued wildlife. His first book—The Forlorn (Baen)—came out in 1999. Since then he has co-authored with Eric Flint (Rats, Bats and Vats, The Rats, the Bats and the Ugly, Pyramid Scheme and Pyramid Power, The Sorceress of Karres) and with Mercedes Lackey and Eric Flint (The Shadow of the Lion, This Rough Magic, The Wizard of Karres) as well as writing various shorter works. Besides working as a Fisheries Scientist for the Western Cape shark fishery, running a couple of fish farms, he has worked as a commercial diver and as a relief chef at several luxury game lodges. Yes: he can both cook and change diapers. (No man ever really gets tired of danger sports.) He spent two years as a conscripted soldier along the way, so he can iron too. His interests are rock climbing (he's still good at it), diving, flyfishing (he's still bad at it), fly-tying, wine-tasting and the preparation of food, especially by traditional means—smoking and salting, all the good unhealthy things.
THE END
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Dragon's Ring
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Glossary
About the Author