The Dragon Librarian (Scrolls of Fire Book 1) by Marc Secchia

Author:Marc Secchia [Secchia, Marc]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-02-09T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16: Hidden Acclaim

PANDEMONIUM! BLEARY-EYED and aching in every bone of her body, Auli-Ambar awoke to shouting in the next chamber. When Master Chamzu’s decorum cracked, a regular occurrence of late, his temper was impressive. This sounded like a wrathful Dragon, and he was giving no quarter.

“I know what I heard!” asserted the Dragon, in sonorous yet scathing tones. “Dissembling is beneath a man of your high virtue, Chief Scrollkeeper Chamzu. You will not conceal this prodigy from the great Zanthrillior! It is beyond the pale! Those other Dragons thought it was I who plucked their very scales with quite the most sensational vocalisations of woe I have heard in all my eighty-seven years beneath the suns, but my ear canals know better, for my auditory gifts are among the finest –”

“Noble Dragon,” Master Chamzu put in, with his customary dignity.

Uh-oh.

“– and I declare, I will have that creature brought to this roost, right here, right now! There was no dragonet in my concert. The voice was not purely draconic. Well, it was close, and that only makes it trebly, quadruply magnificent, and I wouldst pluck it as a delicate bud and acclaim its beauty as it ought to be acclaimed – you cannot hide this treasure! Oh, I am bereft! You wound me, Chief Scrollkeeper. Thou piercest mine breast as with the monumental fore-talon of Fra’anior himself, and I should pine; nay, I should perish for lack of knowing the truth. The truth, man! Is it too much to ask?”

Roaring rajals, he sounded as if he were weeping!

Auli-Ambar found she had leaped out of bed, her heart thumping triple-time. This was terrible. She didn’t want to be admired! She had been a fool to start singing along with Zanthrillior, but she realised also, she could not have stopped herself. The music had overwhelmed her, heightening her emotions to an unbearable pitch.

“Very well, I shall seek it myself!”

“Mighty Zanthrillior, I beg you, if you grant me just a minute –”

“It’s close? That close?” the Dragon challenged. Master Chamzu protested, but Zanthrillior raised his voice in an echoing croon, I know thou art near, mine muse, mine sensational songbird … wilt thou not attend?

Auli considered bolting, but her knees chose that moment to execute a most unwelcome betrayal and she tumbled backward upon her bed. How …

Utilising the full ambit of his extraordinary voice, Zanthrillior sang with a most peculiar set of inflections shading his Dragonish, Arise! Arise, mine magic, for this presence doth flutter its tiny wings upon the seventh sense … arise, o music of a matchless soul, arise!

To her astonishment, Auli-Ambar felt something respond deep in her chest. It felt like a baby bird stirring at its mother’s call – peep. Just that.

Revealed!

At once, he roared, I have thee now! Sing to mine music!

Humming so loudly the sound made Auli’s teeth vibrate in her jawbone, the Dragon charged up the corridor past her door. Peep, chirped her magic, a single note of the uttermost purity.

SCREEECCHH!!

Zanthrillior’s talons shrieked against stone before there came a loud crash and a curse.

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