Apollo fell silent. He believed Angdalagon now.
The Elder White Dragon's reaction had been too strange. Apollo had used words that insulted Great Dragons, and they might have struck a nerve and sent the White Dragon into a sudden rage.
But there had been no fierce inner struggle, no emotions building toward an outburst. It had felt as though some force—or some switch—had been triggered, instantly driving Angdalagon to lose all reason and fight back.
Apollo could not believe there was nothing wrong with that.
His eyes narrowed as he recalled his trip to the North to capture the White Dragon.
At the time, nothing had seemed amiss. Even afterward, he had suspected nothing. But looking back now, the whole affair was unusual.
Why had he traveled so far to capture Angdalagon? What had made him think Angdalagon knew anything about Bai He?
More importantly, why had he wanted to find Bai He? Even if Angdalagon gave him a lead to the ancient White Dragon King, what would Apollo gain?
His mind raced. He questioned himself again and again, tracing each answer back to its source...
Before long, he made a startling discovery: no matter how far he followed that chain of questions, he had no motive that made logical sense.
He had no reason to seek Bai He. It was as if one day, on a sudden whim, a thought had appeared in his mind—he had to find Bai He!
Apollo looked every bit as shocked as Angdalagon. He searched his own mind. "Could it be... could someone have altered my soul or memories without me noticing?"
The possibility sent a cold sweat over him.
How many years had it been since he had last sweated? Even bathing in magma deep underground could not make him perspire.
Yet now,