Danyla's Great Dragons were like a band of robbers, swiftly leveling House Hightower's garden. They not only set the trees ablaze but also fired the rubble and broken tiles with dragonfire until they turned glassy, then fashioned temporary lairs from them and settled down on top.
Only Myracis landed directly on the towering weirwood, for she found the great tree immensely soothing. Surging magical energy and a cool current of power flowed steadily from the weirwood into her body, soon sending her into a deep sleep.
Dreamfyre settled near the weirwood as well. She, too, sensed the energy within it. The tree's fresh aura greatly eased Danyla's discomfort, so she quickly urged Dreamfyre closer.
Breathing in the fresh energy given off by the weirwood, Danyla soon felt normal again. But this also drew her attention to the Hightower's oily black stones, which closely resembled the blackstone she had seen in her dream on Tarth.
Extending her senses, Danyla discovered that the entire Hightower radiated intensely concentrated magical energy under the influence of its blackstone foundation.
She had never known that such strange stones existed in this world, let alone that they contained such powerful energy.
While Danyla was studying the blackstone curiously, Earl Hightower emerged from the Hightower with a great crowd of family members.
Green was House Hightower's signature color, so both their armor and their formal attire were predominantly green. Danyla also discovered that the color could actually absorb the energy emanating from the Hightower's blackstone.
House Hightower had always been prolific. By Danyla's rough count, there were no fewer than fifty members of its main line standing before her.
At the sight of the garden destroyed by the Great Dragons, Earl Hightower's face twitched involuntarily. Still, he approached Dreamfyre calmly and respectfully.
"Greetings, Princess Danyla!"
"Hello, my