Dorvin snickered and mussed Alina's hair. "Hey, sweet sister, I was only joking with them. You know how I like to joke."

The druid shoved him backward and smacked his chest with her staff. "You can have your little pissing contest another time. We stand on holy ground. Go back!" She shoved him another step back toward their followers, then turned toward the four dragons of Requiem. Her eyes softened and she lowered her head. "Please forgive my brother. Dorvin is a child of wildfire, but I was born in starlight. His heart is rash, his mind is small, but he brought us safely to this place." She smiled softly, gazing up at the column. "We've come to join you. To join Requiem." She knelt upon the marble tiles and lowered her head. "We've come to serve you, King Aeternum."

Standing among his followers, Dorvin stared in disbelief. Rage, disappointment, and fear battled inside him. He had thought to find safety here, to find glory, a kingdom he would be proud to join, a king he'd be proud to fight for. Instead he'd found nothing—not even a village. Just four more ragged survivors. And his sister knelt before them? Before this shaggy, bearded brute who called himself a king?

"He's not a king," Dorvin spat out. Several of his people were following Alina's lead; they too were bowing. Dorvin grunted and tugged them up. "On your feet! Stand straight and proud. We do not serve this man." He pointed at Jeid, this so-called King Aeternum. "He's nothing but another outcast. I've led you all winter. I fought for you. I slew monsters for you and brought you here. This is all Requiem is?" Dorvin laughed mirthlessly. "Then so be it. I will lead this kingdom. I will serve as Requiem's king. Requiem will be ours!"

With that, he leaped into the air, shifted into a dragon, and lunged toward Jeid.

I won't kill you, old man, he thought, grinning savagely. But I will crush you into subservience.

With a roar, Jeid shifted too and leaped.

As the others cried out, the two dragons slammed together.

Scales cracked, loud as thunder. Fire blasted out and smoke covered the forest.

"Dorvin, stop!" Alina shouted somewhere in the distance.

"Grizzly, kill the boy!" Maev was shouting, shaking her fist.

The two dragons drew apart, and Dorvin grinned again, hissing out smoke. "I'm a leader of dragons." He let the flames grow in his belly. "I lead twenty people; you lead three. Requiem is mine." With that, he blasted out a stream of fire.

Jeid was a larger dragon, wide and cumbersome, a lumbering beast of heavy copper scales. Yet his wings beat mightily, and he soared fast enough to dodge the flames. The jet raced across the earth and slammed into the base of King's Column, blackening the marble. With a roar, Jeid swooped, barreling into Dorvin.