Wizard's First Rule

The dragon made slow, steady strokes of her wings, lifting him above the sea of clouds that covered the Azrith Plains, carrying him to the last place in the world he would wish to go, had he a choice. The journey, which would have taken him a good part of the day on a horse, took less than an hour on the dragon. She folded her wings back, diving toward the plateau. The wind tore at his clothes as she plunged downward. From the air, Richard could see how big the People's Palace really was. It was hard to believe it had been made by men; it seemed beyond even a dream. It was like the biggest of cities, all melted together into one complex.

Scarlet flew once around the plateau, past towers, walls, and roofs. They flashed past in endless variety, making him dizzy. She lifted over the outer wall, and swooped down into a vast courtyard, fluttering her wings to stop their descent. There were no guards, no people, to be seen.

Richard slid down her red scales, landing on his feet with a thump. She swept her head about, then tilted it down, gazing at him. Her ears swiveled forward.

"Are you sure you want me to leave you here?" Richard nodded, casting his eyes to the ground. Scarlet snorted. "Then the six days are at an end. Our bargain is at an end. The next time

I see you, you will be fair game."

Richard smiled up at her. "Fair enough, my friend. But you'll not get the chance. Today, I am going to die."

Scarlet watched him with one yellow eye. "Try not to let that happen, Richard Cypher. I would still like to eat you."

Richard's smile widened as he rubbed a glossy scale. "Take care of your little dragon, when it hatches. I wish I had had a chance to see it. It will be beautiful too, I know. I realize you hate flying men about, because it's against your will, but thanks for letting me know the joy of flying. I considered it a privilege."

She nodded. "I like flying too." She let out a puff of smoke. "You are a rare man, Richard Cypher. I have never seen one the match of you:"

"I am the Seeker. The last Seeker."

She gave another nod of her big head. "Take care, Seeker. You have the gift. Use it. Use everything you have to fight. Don't give in. Don't let him rule you. If you are to die, die fighting with everything you have, everything you know. That is the way of a dragon."

"If it were only that easy." Richard looked up at the red dragon. "Scarlet, before the boundary came down, did you carry Darken Rahl into Westland?"

She gave a nod. "A number of times."

"Where did you take him?"

"To a house, bigger than the other houses. It was made of white stone, with slate roofs. One time, I took him to another. A simple house. He killed a man there. I heard the screams. And once to another simple house."

Michael's house. And his father's. And his own.

With the pain of hearing it, Richard looked down at his feet, nodding. "Thanks, Scarlet." He fought back the lump in his throat, and looked back up. "If Darken Rahl ever tries to rule you again, I hope your little dragon will be safe, and you will be able to fight to the death. You are too noble to be ruled."

Scarlet gave a dragon's grin and lifted into the air. Richard watched as she circled overhead, looking down at him. Her head turned to the west and the rest of her followed. Richard watched a few minutes as she became smaller in the distance. He turned to the palace.

Richard eyed the guards at an entrance, prepared for a fight, but they only gave a polite nod. A guest returning. The vast halls swallowed him.

He knew the general direction of the garden room where Rahl kept the boxes, and headed that way. For a long time, he didn't recognize the halls, but after a time, some of them started looking familiar. He recognized the arches and columns, the devotion squares. He passed the hall where Denna's quarters were. He didn't look down it as he walked past the intersection.

His mind was in a daze, overpowered by the decision he had made. He was overwhelmed by the very idea of being the one who would deliver the power of Orden to Darken Rahl. He knew he would be saving Kahlan from a worse fate, and many others from death, but he still felt like a traitor. He wished it could be anyone but him who would help Rahl. But no one else could. Only he had the answers Rahl needed.

He stopped at a devotion square with a pool and watched the fish gliding through the water as he stared at the ripples. Fight with everything he knew, Scarlet had said. What would that gain him? What would that gain anyone? The same in the end, or worse. He could gamble with his own life, but not with everyone else's. Not with Kahlan's. He was here to help Darken Rahl, and that was what he had to do. His mind was made up.

The bell for devotion tolled. Richard watched people gather around and bow down as they began chanting. Two Mord-Sith dressed in red leather approached and eyed him standing there