"A dragon!" Zedd exclaimed. "You expect Richard to fly on a dragon? What sort of dragon?"
"An angry one."
"Angry?" Richard asked.
"I'm afraid that I'm not very good at appearing as a dragon's mother, but I've gentled it." Shota shrugged. "A little, anyway."
Richard had them all wait in the hallway as he quickly changed into the things from his pack. When he emerged, Kahlan's breath was taken by what she saw.
Over a black shirt he wore a black, open-sided tunic decorated with strange symbols snaking along a wide gold band running all the way around its squared edges. A wide, multilayered leather belt bearing more of the emblems cinched the magnificent tunic at his waist. The ancient, tooled-leather baldric holding the gold- and silver-wrought scabbard for the Sword of Truth crossed over his right shoulder. At each wrist was a wide, leather-padded silver band bearing linked rings encompassing more of the strange symbols. Black boots over his black trousers also had pins with yet more of the rounded designs. His broad shoulders bore a cape that appeared to be made of spun gold.
He looked like Kahlan's idea of what a war wizard should look like. He looked like a commander of kings. He looked like Lord Rahl.
Kahlan had no trouble at all understanding why Nicci was in love with him. She was just about the luckiest woman in the world. She was also a woman worthy of this man.
"Let's hurry," he said to Shota.
Shota, strolling at a steady pace down the center of the halls, her filmy gray dress flowing out behind, led them through secondary, unadorned passageways in the castle as if it were deserted. From time to time she waved a hand toward a door or a passageway, as if to ward off anyone from bothering them. That must have been exactly what she was doing, because no one intercepted the small company of people hurrying through the hallways.
They all paused behind the witch woman when she finally stopped at a heavy oak door. She gave them all a look as if to ask if they were ready, then threw open the heavy oak door. When they went through the doorway into the overcast day, Richard's cape billowed out behind. Out on the rampart they were confronted by a huge beast with glossy red scales and a forest of black-tipped spikes on its back.
Flame roared across the rampart, kicking dirt and gravel in every direction. They all shrank back.
"That's not Scarlet," Richard said. "I thought it might be Scarlet."
"You know a dragon?" Kahlan asked.
"Yes, so do you, but not this one. This one is bigger, and a whole lot meaner-looking.''
The heat from rolling flames again drove them back. Shota, unconcerned, singing a soft song, casually walked forward. The flames stopped. The dragon brought its head floating downward toward her, tilting it to the side, as if curious. As Shota whispered things Kahlan couldn't hear, the dragon snorted softly in a contented manner.
Shota, stroking her fingers under the dragon's chin, turned back to them. "Richard, come speak with this handsome fellow."
The dragon almost sounded like it was purring at her words.
Richard hurried forward. "I have a dragon friend," he said up to the beast. "Maybe you know her. Her name is Scarlet."
The massive creature threw its head back and fired a column of flame skyward. Its spiked tail swished across the rampart, knocking large blocks off the stone wall over the side.
The red head swung back down. The lips drew back in a snarl to reveal wicked-looking fangs.
"Scarlet is my mother," the dragon growled.
Richard looked pleasantly surprised. "Scarlet is your mother? Are you Gregory?"
The dragon drew closer yet, sniffing at Richard as it frowned. Richard's cape billowed up with each puff of air.
"Who are you, little man?"
"I'm Richard Rahl. The last time I saw you, you were an egg." Richard, as if talking to an old friend, made a half circle with his arms. "You were this big."
"Richard Rahl." Gregory grinned, its hostility evaporating. "My mother has told me of you."
Richard laid a hand on Gregory's snout. His voice turned gentle with concern. "Is she all right? Magic is failing. I've been worried how it might harm her."
Gregory snorted a puff of smoke. "She is very sick. She grows weaker by the day. I am stronger and still able to fly. I bring her food, but the witch woman kept me from being able to do so. I don't know how to help her. I worry that she will be lost to me."
Richard nodded sadly. "It's the taint caused by the chimes having been in this world. That taint is destroying all magic."
Gregory nodded his huge head. "Then the red dragons are doomed."
"As are we all. Unless I can stop that taint."
The big head cocked to the side so that Gregory could peer at Richard with one yellow eye. "You can do that?"
"Possibly, but I'm not sure how, yet. I do know that I need to get to the People's Palace if I am to try."
"The People's Palace? Where the dark army waits?"
Richard nodded. "That's right. I may be the only one who can stop that taint. Will you take us there?"