“Come to Benorg, if you can,” said Alex. “The party there will be a thing to remember.”

“Yes, I will,” said Thorson happily.

Without saying anything more, Alex changed himself into a raven, flying up to meet Thrang over the house. He could see Thorson watching them with a look of wonder on his face, before he was lost from sight.

Alex and Thrang flew close, climbing slowly back into the mountains where the rest of their company was waiting. It was not a difficult flight, but by the time they saw the campfire, Alex could tell that Thrang was growing tired.

“Alex,” Arconn exclaimed as Alex changed back to himself in front of the elf, “I wish you wouldn’t do that. Or at least give me some warning.”

“Sorry,” Alex said with a laugh. “It’s easy to forget such things. Now, where has Thrang gotten to?”

Thrang squawked loudly as he hopped in the snow next to the tents that had been set up. Alex turned to look at him and, at the same time, broke the spell that had changed Thrang into a bird.

“A pleasant enough way to travel,” Thrang said stiffly. “More tiring than horseback, but pleasant just the same.”

“You make an excellent raven,” Alex said. “Now, I think you should rest with the others. We still have a long way to go, but I don’t think we will start too early.”

“Early would be better than late,” Thrang said as he yawned. “Less likely to be seen, and we need to get to Darvish quickly.”

“There is time,” said Alex. “And I doubt we will be seen. Even if we are, it fits into the legend, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Yes, of course,” said Thrang, walking slowly to his tent. “Wake me for breakfast, then.”

Alex smiled as Thrang walked away, and then turned back to the fire and Arconn. Arconn looked as if he wanted to ask a hundred questions but didn’t know where to begin. Alex took a chair from his magic bag and sat down next to the fire.

“What is it you want to know?” Alex asked.

“Nothing and everything,” Arconn said with a smile.

“That is easy and difficult,” Alex said and started to laugh.

“How long have you known? I mean, how long have you known that you could take the dragon form without losing yourself?”

“I wasn’t sure until today,” said Alex. “I almost lost myself when I went after the thunderbird, but then the bird spoke to me.”

“What did it say?”

“It tried to magically change me back to my true form. It didn’t know that I was both man and dragon, and it thought it could force me back into the shape of a man.”

“But the spell didn’t work,” Arconn said.

“No, but it made me think. At the time, I thought I was only a dragon and I couldn’t remember what I was before,” said Alex. “When I thought about it, though, I remembered what I was. The memory was enough to allow me to see my true self as both man and dragon.”

“I am glad you did not lose yourself,” said Arconn.

“So am I,” Alex agreed. “But I must admit, I would rather be lost as a dragon than as any other living thing.”

“Even a man?”

“Yes, even a man.”

Arconn fell silent, and Alex allowed himself to rest in front of the fire. He wasn’t tired at all, but he needed to relax his mind. Several things were happening all at once in Thraxon, and he seemed to be in the middle of all of them. Not only had they recovered the Ring of Searching, which had been their goal all along, but he was about to take Kat to the empty tower, where he hoped she would be able to enter and become the oracle. Then there was the crown of Set, which Alex needed to return to King Thorgood. Thrang probably knew what Thorgood had promised, but Alex knew he didn’t want to talk about it until Thorgood was present.

Apart from everything else, there was also his link to Salinor and the other dragons. There was the evil spirit, Mog, which he had defeated in Nethrom’s cave, and there was the hidden conspiracy Bane had talked about. These were all important, but Alex didn’t know why exactly. It was like some huge puzzle, and he didn’t know what the picture would be when he put all the pieces together.

***

“At the speed you flew yesterday, we should reach Darvish before noon,” Thrang said to Alex over breakfast. “That leaves a full day and a half before the tower fades.”

“We won’t reach the tower today,” Alex said softly.

“Why not?” Arconn questioned. “Surely there is no reason to delay.”

“No real reason,” Alex said with a smile. “But part of being an oracle is what people think.”

“And you don’t think the people of Darvish will accept me as an oracle if I arrive today?” Kat asked.

“I think they will accept you, but that’s not enough,” Alex answered. “There needs to be a legend, something impressive that will be passed down from generation to generation. You realize that you will live for a very long time as the Oracle of the Empty Tower.”

“Yes, I’ve been thinking about that,” said Kat. “I think that is the part I fear the most.”

“Fear?” Thrang questioned.

“Perhaps fearis not the right word, but it is the only word that seems to fit,” Kat said, shaking her head. “I think Arconn must know what I mean. After all, he has lived for a long time.”

“You don’t want to see your friends grow old and die,” Arconn said in a kindly tone. “You don’t want to see those you care about fade, only to be replaced by others you do not know.”

“Yes,” Kat said, staring into the fire. “Men live a short time, dwarfs a little longer. Only elves and oracles seem to go on for ages.”

“And wizards and dragons,” Nellus said, glancing at Alex.

“ Somewizards and somedragons,” Alex corrected. “Still, I can understand Kat’s fear because I have felt it too.”

“There are sorrows, that is true,” Arconn said thoughtfully. “We lose those who are close to us, and we are sad when they are gone. Still, there is the joy of life and the knowledge that those we love are never really gone, as long as we remember them.”

“Wise words, but they offer little comfort,” said Kat.

“If you do not wish to go to Darvish, we will not go,” Alex said softly.

“No, I must go,” said Kat in a determined tone. “I just hope it will be worth it.”

The others did not speak, mostly because they didn’t know what to say. How could any of them tell what the future held? How could they know if Kat would find being the Oracle of the Empty Tower worth the effort and the sacrifice?

Alex realized for the first time how similar his life was to Kat’s. He would probably live a long time as a wizard; Whalen had told him as much. How would he feel when his friends—the people who had taught him so much and been with him on his adventures—grew old and died? It was difficult to think about, but he knew it would happen.

“We should be going,” Alex said after several minutes of silence.

“I thought you said we wouldn’t reach Darvish today,” said Thrang.

“We won’t, but the dragon will,” Alex answered. “We’ll let the people of Darvish see the dragon today so the crowds can gather for tomorrow.”

“And then you’ll take us all to the city?” Thrain questioned.

“No, I will take only Kat,” Alex answered. “I will find a place close to the city for us to camp. Then tomorrow, before dawn, the rest of you will walk to the city. I will join you in the crowd later. After all, I don’t want to change into my human form in front of the crowd.”

“And I will be left alone to try to enter the tower,” Kat said sadly.

“You will enter the tower and become the oracle,” Alex said confidently. “After I deliver you to the tower, you will dismiss me as if I were your servant. That will help build your legend and reputation. I will fly away and vanish from the city, returning as a bird and meeting the others in the waiting crowds.”

“Very well,” said Kat. “I see the wisdom of your plan. I just hope I can enter the empty tower without going mad.”