“Lancelot.” Balthazar would have been a dead man if his younger brother hadn’t come to his rescue.
She nodded. “There was something else. A small vivid blue circle sitting on one of the hills—and a Viking stick figure bent over it.”
“Well, that explains why you haven’t found your scale, Balthazar,” Ti said, smiling. “It’s probably collecting dust on an old woman’s armoire. A pity, really.”
Balthazar watched carefully as Eva took several steps back. “No, I think it’s somewhere else.”
Ti narrowed his eyes. “And where do you think it is?” When she didn’t answer, he reached out and grabbed her arm. “Well? If you’re as smart as you claim to be, tell us.”
Thorsson cleared his sword from its scabbard. “You will release her at once.”
Balthazar stood in front of him. “Don’t.”
Ti looked at him. “Are you threatening me, Thorsson?” He pushed Eva away, and she fell while he approached them.
“Back off, Ti,” Balthazar warned.
He hadn’t stopped. “Why? It’s not as if you can fight me.” His brother’s eyes flashed red as he drew nearer.
“He’s right!” Eva screamed. “Thorsson, knock some sense into Balthazar!”
“What the fuck?” he shouted. He turned in time to see Thorsson swing the sword and couldn’t dodge the blow in time. The hilt struck his shoulder where his wound lay, and he screamed in pain while his dragon Bal roared in triumph.
The pommel shattered, releasing a shaft of iridescent blue as his scale burned through his clothing and melded to his flesh. He shuddered with joy as he felt raw strength surge through his limbs. His primal yell echoed across the battlefield, over Lysuhóll, and trembled the ground beneath his feet. “Thorsson, get Eva out of here!”
Thorsson, his eyes wide with fear, nodded and ran off. He grabbed Eva, who fought against his hold as he dragged her away.
He watched his brother, whose initial shock changed to rage, and released his dragon. His body grew and lengthened, and Balthazar screamed in pain after centuries of constraint. In moments, Bal stood over twenty feet in height, his massive tail swept the ground behind him, and he roared so that all in Iceland could hear.
Bal Anda had returned.
***
Power—raw, intense and savage—raged through his limbs.
He lifted his leg to stare in fascination at its gleaming azure surface.
He felt the lava flowing miles beneath his feet.
He saw the Aurora Borealis hidden just beyond the deep blue of evening. He smelled the Atlantic Ocean, tasted the salt on his tongue when he opened his mouth. He heard the noise that was Reykjavík and its inhabitants over ten miles away, a constant buzz that annoyed him.
Lysuhóll rose before him like a long lost home. He couldn’t wait to get inside and admire his family’s hoard.
He heard Eva call his name, heard the mixture of awe and fear in her tone of voice.
He stretched out his wings, their length covering half the battlefield, and their translucency the shade of a perfect sapphire. He wanted to fly, but he had other important business to take care of first.
He walked across the battlefield and felt the soft grass beneath his feet. Insects tickled his senses as his talons dug deep furrows. The earth vibrated with his movements as he climbed the volcano and sat down. Ti stood before him, his brother and his threat. Bal roared his displeasure, and then tensed his muscles, ready to fight.
Ti stretched his arms above his head, growing and changing shape until he stood in his true image. His scales rivaled the sunset, red and gold. His ruby eyes glared from beneath a hood of long, pointed scales, and he dug his talons into the ground, ready to pounce.
Bal struck first, swiping his foot at his brother’s head. Ti reared back, his wings flaring, and opened his mouth. Flames spewed from between sharp teeth, their intense heat washing over him and across the side of the volcano, burning everything in its path to ash.
Bal charged, his tail swinging wildly for balance before he struck Ti’s chest. They both went down in a tangle of limbs and wings, and he closed his jaws around Ti’s leg, shaking it furiously. Ti roared in pain and emitted fire into his face. Bal squinted but didn’t release his hold.
Ti beat his wings, and dust and rocks pummeled Bal’s face until one struck just above his eye. Startled, Bal loosened his grip, and Ti pulled away, blood trailing from a series of deep gashes. In moments, Ti took to the air, his wings spread wide, circling above.
Bal roared his challenge, walking in a tight circle, his tail swinging as anger engulfed him. He fired bolts of flame at his brother with no effect. Ti flew higher, still circling directly above him, until he snapped his wings together and dove straight down. Bal backed away, but he wasn’t fast enough. Ti crashed into him, knocking him flat on his back with his brother on top of him.