Song of Dragons The Complete Trilogy - By Daniel Arenson Page 0,234

torch. For him. For Benedictus. I loved him."

Agnus Dei looked at him with damp eyes. She sniffed and nodded. "I loved him too. More than I ever told him in life. I wish he were here, that I could tell him that. I wish.... Oh, pup. There are so many things I wish for. The world seems so dark sometimes, doesn't it? But I'm not giving up." She took his hand and held it tight. "And I'm glad you're with me. I love you too, Kyrie. Don't forget it. If anything happens... if mimics arrive, or Dies Irae himself, and if we lie wounded and dying... know that I love you."

Her lips trembled and she took deep breaths. Kyrie shoved their torches into the snow, embraced her, and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him, and her body pressed against him. They kissed deeply, desperately, and it was long moments before they drew apart and stood, silently holding hands, staring at the ruins under the snow.

Suddenly Agnus Dei gasped. "Look, Kyrie!"

The clouds parted, and the sun emerged. It shone behind King's Pillar, casting a long shadow. The shadow stretched five hundred feet across the snow, like a path. It ended at a hillock of snow beneath burned trees.

"King Aeternum is showing us something," Agnus Dei said. "Let's look."

They followed the path of shadow. It led them out of the palace ruins, and into deep snow where birch trees once grew. The way was tricky, with many bricks, old helmets, and shattered weapons hiding under the snow to trip them. When they reached the path's end, they found piles of snow that rose five feet tall. Just then the clouds gathered, and the shadowy path vanished.

Agnus Dei cleared some snow away. She found herself staring at a woman's marble face.

"A statue!" she breathed.

They kept clearing away the snow, and soon revealed the rest of a statue—a nude woman holding a jug.

"She's perfect," Kyrie said.

Agnus Dei frowned at him. "Perfect, huh? Keep your eyes off her naughty bits, pup."

"I mean she's not damaged. There are a few chips, but... the statue is whole. Let's keep digging."

They kept clearing away snow, and found many pieces of statues—hands, heads, legs, torsos, and pedestals. They placed these parts aside and kept digging. Soon they unearthed a second, complete statue—a warrior holding a marble sword and shield.

They kept digging and finally found a third complete statue. This one was a king; he sported a crown, robe, and beard.

"This one is a statue of King Aeternum," Agnus Dei said. "See the two-headed dragon on his shield? It was his sigil."

Kyrie lifted a hammer and three chisels from the snow. "This place must have been a workshop. A sculptor lived here. King's Column knew we should look here." He closed his eyes. "Thank you, King Aeternum. If you truly watch over us, thank you."

They found no more whole statues. Grunting and straining, they dragged the complete statues into clear snow and stood them side by side. A nude maiden. A warrior in armor. A proud old king.

"The girl looks just like you," Kyrie said and reached toward the statue's breasts. Agnus Dei slapped his hand away and glared.

"This isn't time for jokes, pup," she said. "Give me that chisel and hammer."

"Hey, what did I do? Don't hammer me over the head."

"It's not for you, pup. Not yet, at least. We need to give these statues their hearts."

She began to chisel. It was slow, careful work. She hated damaging these statues, but knew she must. You will be warriors of Requiem.

Finally she had carved chambers in their chests, where hearts would pulse in living beings.

"Ready, pup?" she whispered. "I'll animate the warrior and the king. You can animate the girl statue you're so smitten with."

He nodded. Fingers tingly, Agnus Dei pulled two Animating Stones from her pack. They trembled and thrummed. The light inside them, like red liquid, swirled and reached toward the statues, as if craving new homes. Suddenly Agnus Dei was fearful; sweat beaded on her forehead, and her pulse quickened. If the magic worked, would these statues attack them?

The Ocean Deities created these stones in the Age of Chaos, she thought. They are as old as the world, and all that's in it. And I hold them in my palm. She took a deep breath. I am a princess of Requiem. Gloriae and I are the last of King Aeternum's line. I will never fear the stones of Requiem.

She placed one Animating Stone into the