“And that was how the End came. Thus passed Gash of Cainus. He was a kind, old leader, and we mourned greatly at his loss. Command of the city was given to one of the other officers.”

“I can’t remember who, though,” he added, tossing a few more twigs into the fireplace.

The flame burned brightly, illuminating the small room and warming both of its inhabitants.

“The dragon wasn’t seen during the battle, and hasn’t been seen since. Then, one spring a few years later, Azel too disappeared. She left early in the morning. We awoke to find that all of her gear was gone, and her coolia as well. She rode off again into the desert.”

“And did she return?”

The old man’s eyes twinkled, remembering days past.

“Not that I know of. I didn’t remain at the city for too long. It was a depressing place. In all its prime, it had been crippled, wounded. I couldn’t stand living there afterwards. Quite a beautiful city though.”

“What about Edge? What became of him?”

The man shook his head, sad and forlorn.

“He died trying to save an age that was already lost.”

“‘An age that was already lost’?”

“That time is over now. Edge saved our lives, but nothing else. Like I told you…”

He sighed before continuing.

“I couldn’t stand that city. It was an old city. Been around for barely a few years and it was already old.”

“But, what about what Edge said? He said there was still hope, didn’t he?”

“That’s what he said. He said there would be a new hope.”

“A new dawn…”

They were silent for some time. All was silent, except for the crackling of the fire. Both of them understood what Edge had meant. There it was, a glorious city of the Seekers, a place of peace and freedom. In the end, it could not be saved. The will of the ancients had claimed it, claimed it as it had the rest of the world. And then it was a dark place, dark and old, ravaged by war and death, just like any other place. There was no hope for humanity. But even then, was there? Surely, for Edge had believed so.

“Have I told you what you wanted to know?”

“No.”

Her eyes wandered for a second, but then she looked up at him again and smiled.

“But, you have told me what I needed to know.”

At length, she rose from her seat and thanked her host. After throwing on a long scarf, she stepped out of the tent, out into the world, and under the darkening sky and the setting sun. The baby coolia was waiting exactly where she had left it, and let out a cry of delight upon seeing its one and only friend.

“Let’s go, little one,” she said gently. “A long road is ahead of us, and I promised to walk it, but not alone.”

With a laugh, she added, “I’ve decided that walking isn’t a bad form of transportation!”

The fledgling dragon, sensing her levity, let out a squeal as well.

She led the baby creature out of the small camp, and over the windswept hill.

Paet watched them until they disappeared from his sight, watched the dragonrider and her dragon.

Then, he went back into the tent with a smile on his face, and he knew that there would be hope.

The dawn would come.