Rojuun

by John H. Carroll

  ***

  The first thing Tathan felt when consciousness came back was the sword lying in the crook of his arm. He tried to move, but every part of his body ached miserably. A low moan came out of his throat.

  “Ahh, there you are, Master Tathan. Take your time, but it is important that you wake up.” Sir Danth’s tone was ominous.

  Pain shot through his head when Tathan tried to sit up. His body felt terrible and he wondered if he was still alive or if this was some sort of afterlife punishment for his transgressions. When he tried to open his eyes, he discovered that something covered them. This experience didn’t seem to be going well and he was getting cranky about it.

  “You were badly injured, Master Tathan. Your body has received healing, but your senses were damaged and they are still recovering. Here, I will help you sit up and we will take the bandages off your eyes.” Sir Danth pulled down the covers and moved the sword aside for a moment. The knight lifted under Tathan’s arms until he was in a sitting position, leaning on pillows against the headboard.

  Tathan realized he was in bed back at the suite. Sir Danth had been as gentle as an individual in plate-mail can be. Tathan lifted his hands to remove the bandages from his eyes. It seemed like his arms had lead weights in them and it took an enormous effort to raise them.

  “Let me help.”

  Tathan felt the bandages being taken off. Sir Danth didn’t make for a gentle nurse, but he was doing his best.

  Tathan squinted against the glare. He kept his eyes narrowly open in order to give them time to adjust. The light gradually dimmed and the pain in his skull settled. Sir Danth sat next to him in a chair, watching worriedly. The lights in the room had been turned down as much as possible, but it was still hard on his eyes.

  Alarm ran up his spine as Tathan remembered the last parts of the battle. “Liselle . . .”

  “Vevin brought her in this morning.” The night placed his fingertips on Tathan’s shoulder. “He stumbled to the gate with her unconscious body in his arms. We still don’t know what happened. They are asleep in Lady Liselle’s bed.”

  “She’s alive then,” Tathan said with relief. He paused for a moment. “They’re asleep in her bed . . . both of them?” That was not what he wanted to hear.

  “Yes, when Vevin moved away, she awoke and yelled for him. Your cousin grabbed Vevin and told him never to leave her. They fell asleep together with their clothes on if you need that comfort.”

  “No, it’s fine. I’m just glad they’re both safe.” Tathan gave a light wave of his hand. “Nothing went right in that battle. There was something driving them and they took Liselle for a reason.”

  “I agree. Lady Liselle will have the answers I think, but the Council of Elders wants answers now and they are not happy that I will not respond to them without you. The council has been insisting on speaking to us since all of this happened yesterday.”

  “They want answers?” Tathan asked incredulously. “I thought they owed us answers.”

  “Well . . .”

  “What?”

  “There is the fact that the sstejj with the gems, especially that large one, didn’t exist until we showed up.” He ticked points off on his fingers. “Then Vevin went full dragon on them and destroyed most of the sstejj with a single blast. He did leave a few for me to kill for which I was grateful. I didn’t want to get bored after all.” Sir Danth gestured casually. “They are more afraid of Vevin than the sstejj at this point though and they’re not happy that we didn’t mention the fact that he is a dragon.”

  “I see.” Tathan sighed. His strength was starting to come back, but he felt as though he had been rolled down a mountain . . . then kicked a few times after reaching the bottom. “So they want us to explain Vevin.”

  “They also want to know why the creature took Liselle instead of one of the Rojuun,” Sir Danth told him in a worried tone. “There was some sort of misshapen creature that rode the sstejj and took her. It killed seven Rojuun easily.”

  Tathan frowned as he tried to stretch his muscles enough to get up. “There was a creature driving them then? I remember seeing some of the sstejj run away, which didn’t seem normal.”

  “Yes. It was riding those creatures with the gems in their heads. There were four or five smaller ones in addition to the goliath you killed.” The knight put a gentle gauntlet on Tathan’s shoulder. “That was superb work you did in killing the goliath, and very brave.”

  “Brave?” asked Tathan in surprise. “I just did what I had to. So the creature took Liselle. Do we know what happened to her after that?”

  “Doing what needs to be done is brave at times,” Sir Danth said philosophically. “After that, you passed out. Vevin transformed into his natural self and took off after her. The rest of us fought off the sstejj that survived.” He hung his head sadly. “Vevin’s trainee tried to rescue Liselle, but was killed by a black liquid that dissolved his body. It was horrible. He has been marked as a hero. Marrraa’s sister, Turrr also died in the battle as did others.”

  “I’m very sorry to hear that. Did Aaruulaa survive? I really like her.”

  “Yes. She is very capable and also considered a hero.” Sir Danth nodded approvingly. “After we fought off the rest of the sstejj, everyone else retreated back to the tunnel while I went to search for your cousin. Aaruulaa insisted on traveling with me.” Sir Danth hung his head. “We went down the tunnel they had taken Liselle, but I didn’t feel as though I would be able to assist and I was concerned for you and the rest of the building party.” He looked Tathan firmly in the eye. “You must believe I felt Vevin better suited to saving your cousin.”

  Tathan put his hand on the knight’s metallic shoulder. “I do, and I believe that you did right. Thank you for that, my friend. It’s not a decision I’d have wanted to make.”

  “Are you feeling well enough to see the council?” Sir Danth asked hopefully. “I will carry you if I must, but I don’t think I can hold them off much longer.”

  “Are they trying to break down the door or something?”

  “No. They are being very polite, but they insist someone talk to them. I hate talking. I hate explaining myself more than anything.” If a helmet could blush, Sir Danth’s would have done so. “I will fight anything you ask me to, but ask me to speak in front of any sort of council . . .” He shuddered.

  “Oh,” said Tathan, nonplussed. “All right, I’m getting up.” He sat up and braced himself to swing his legs over the edge of the bed.

  Sir Danth pulled the covers down the rest of the way.

  Tathan was dressed in a dark green robe the Rojuun had made for him. It had black and white patterns in it that were striking. He gingerly put his feet over the side of the bed. With Sir Danth’s help, he was able to stand, though he gasped in pain a few times.

  Tathan stood still for a few minutes so that his head could stop swimming. He wondered how badly he had been hurt before the healers had used their magic. The knight steadied him and stayed beside him until Tathan was ready to go.

  Sir Danth kept Tathan stable as he shuffled forward.

  When they opened the door, there was a council representative with his fist up to knock on the door. “Oh. There you are. The council of elders insists upon seeing you and will not accept any further delays.”

  “We’re coming.” Tathan grunted. “I’m moving slowly though. My body isn’t fully recovered.”

  “Of course. I’ll go ahead and let them know you are on your way.” The representative left at a rapid pace.

  Sir Danth and Tathan followed at a slower rate. Tathan’s body began to move a little easier as he worked out the stiffness in his muscles. His head hurt and any bright light made him squint. Sir Danth kept his arm out, which Tathan used as a brace to keep steady. After a few minutes, they were at the council chamber.

  Once inside, they were given chairs in the middle of the floor. All of
the seats were full and quite a few Rojuun stood around the edges in order to listen in on the proceedings. A low murmur of voices filled the chambers. The sound soothed Tathan, making him want to fall back to sleep. A Rojuun girl brought them wine to drink, which Tathan thought was a good sign. He eagerly took a glass and sipped from it in hopes of calming his head.

  “Tathan Human and Sir Danth Human,” said the council leader who had addressed them in previous meetings. “We have questions regarding the sstejj attack on the builders yesterday. It was our hope that all of you would be able to make it, but we understand the health of your companions is poor. Is this correct?”

  Tathan stood. When he began to fall over, Sir Danth caught and steadied him. The Rojuun in the chamber all gasped in alarm. Tathan took a couple of deep breaths before speaking. “That is correct. I don’t yet know exactly what their experience was. I promise that as soon as I’m able to speak with them, you’ll have that information. For now, I’ll tell you what I can.” Even though it wasn’t his favorite activity, he was excellent at speaking in front of people. In fact, he had stayed out of jail a few times that way.

  “We will accept that,” the speaker agreed. “Now I will ask questions and you will answer.” It was a command delivered in that pleasant way that all Rojuun seemed to possess. “Tell us of the sstejj with gems in their head. You killed a very large one said to be immune to magic. There were also smaller ones.”

  “The large one definitely had a gem in its forehead.” Tathan sank to his chair. He could talk or stand, but not both. “When I saw that spells didn’t kill it, I ran up its legs to the body and thrust my sword into it.” Dizziness whirled his thoughts and he tilted to the side.

  Sir Danth steadied him. The knight moved to stand behind Tathan’s chair and brace him with hands on his shoulders.

  Tathan realized he had left the sword back in the room and a cold sweat enveloped him. He didn’t like being without it. “My sword didn’t kill it as it would have any normal sstejj. When another spell hit the sstejj, I noticed the gem in the beast’s head flared with light. I thought it might be the key to the barrier blocking the spells. I ran up and rammed my sword into it. That action destroyed the gem and the sstejj.” Tathan explained all of it matter-of-factly. “It resulted in a magical charge being released in a violent manner that hurtled me through the air. My vision and hearing were temporarily lost as well as my consciousness.”

  The council members exchanged looks and there were murmurs in the audience. “Your feats of skill in combat have been remarked upon and your statement verified by others. You tell us that you ran up the creature’s legs so casually . . . It is impressive, I will admit. I have not heard of such feats being accomplished by humans.”

  Tathan responded by shrugging and holding his hands out to the side. He didn’t really care what they thought of his abilities. “As far as the smaller sstejj with gems, I didn’t see very much of them and what I did see was their backs as they ran off.”

  “Sstejj have never been known to run away. They only kill with lust and never retreat,” the council leader stated.

  “That is my understanding as well,” Tathan agreed. “I was having a hard time focusing at that point though, so I can’t tell you much more. The backlash from destroying the gem knocked me out awhile and made it hard for me to tell what else was happening.”

  The council leader continued with the questions. “A dark, twisted creature riding the monsters with gems in their head took Liselle Human. I believe she is your family member, a cousin?” He picked up a piece of parchment with writing.

  “She is, and that’s what I’ve been told. I didn’t personally see her being taken,” Tathan admitted. With genuine relief, he said, “Truly, I’m grateful that she’s alive.”

  “Why would the creature take your cousin? What purpose did it have?” The Rojuun leaned forward. “Why would it take a human rather than a Rojuun? That is difficult for us to understand.”

  Tathan put his arms out again. “I’m very sorry, but I don’t understand that either. It doesn’t make any sense. I’d really like to know why it took her too.”

  The elders frowned. They had obviously been hoping for some insight. “Very well then,” the middle elder responded. “It was observed that your companion, Vevin Human, turned into a great beast and destroyed most of the sstejj with purple fire and lightning. Then Vevin Human flew forward on large wings, still in the form of the beast.” The elder read statements from the parchment in his hand. “‘The creature let out a roar that shook the cavern.” He turned to Tathan. “If everyone there had not agreed on these events, we would not believe it. Some of us are still not certain.”

  Looking back at the paper, he read once more. “The guards at the gate said this about the arrival of Vevin Human and Liselle Human: ‘The beast flew through the cavern and landed near the gate. Liselle Human climbed down from its neck and then collapsed. The beast transformed into the human known as Vevin and went to her side. Then Vevin Human picked Liselle Human up and carried her to the gate where we let them in.’.” He turned to look at Tathan. “This is what the guards told us. Their words are to be believed.” The elder shook the parchment.

  Tathan took a drink of his wine. There had been no question in all of that. He didn’t know how to tell them about dragons, so he waited to see what they would ask.

  The elder stared at him. The rest exchanged glances. When it was clear that Tathan wasn’t going to respond, the council leader leaned forward. “Is Vevin Human a beast and if so, what sort of beast is he?”

  “He’s a dragon,” Tathan said. “I don’t know if dragons are called beasts. I wouldn’t recommend it.” He raised his glass to take another drink. “Dragons are the most powerful and noble of all creatures in Ryallon. They also like to eat things, although Vevin did tell us that sstejj were very disgusting.”

  “We have not heard of dragons before,” the elder said. “You say he is powerful and likes to eat things. Is he dangerous? Will he harm the Rojuun?”

  “Well, he is dangerous. Dragons are some of the most dangerous beings in the world,” Tathan admitted. “As far as whether or not he’ll harm Rojuun, he’s decided that he likes you. However, he’s curious as to how Rojuun taste, so I wouldn’t recommend upsetting him.”

  There were looks of horror on many of the Rojuun faces and irritation on others.

  Tathan waved off their concern. “It’s pretty hard to upset Vevin, so I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”

  “Your words are disturbing, Tathan Human,” the elder said. “To say that this . . . dragon can simply choose to eat Rojuun as though there is little we could do about it is offensive. Why does he take human form?” There was anger in his voices. That anger was mirrored in the faces of the council as well as many of the audience.

  “It’s not my intention to offend you, Elder,” Tathan said with a calming tone, holding a hand up in peace. “Dragons have existed for a long time. They truly are powerful beyond anything and entire armies have fallen before them. Also, if you kill one, the rest avenge it and where one is dangerous, many dragons are a sight to be feared.” Tathan sighed. “Vevin won’t harm you. He’s shown that he is your friend by fighting the sstejj alongside you, probably killing more than even Sir Danth.” He gestured toward the knight. “His reasons for taking human form are his own. In fact, I didn’t even know dragons could do that before I met Vevin.”

  “I see. We have one last question for you until your companions are well enough to answer the other questions.”

  “Yes?”

  “Did you or your companions have anything to do with the sstejj attack, the creature that killed Rojuun and took your cousin, or anything else to do with any of these events?”

  Tathan did not respond immediately. He was mad at them for their suggestion and mistrust.

  Sir Danth squeezed his shoulders in support.


  “I give you my word that we did not have anything to do with the sstejj, that creature, the attack or anything else to do with these attacks.” Tathan bit off his words in anger. “Until coming to these caverns, we had never heard of sstejj. Since coming here, we’ve fought alongside Rojuun to kill untold numbers of sstejj at great risk to our own lives.”

  “Thank you for your answer. We did not believe you had, but felt it a question that must be asked,” the elder said in a conciliatory manner. The council members relaxed and sat back as well. “Everything about the attacks was unusual and we don’t understand why,” he admitted. “That is enough for now though. It is obvious you are still not recovered from your ordeal, Tathan Human. If not for Sir Danth Human, you would fall out of your chair. The color is gone from your face. We also see pain in your features. Go and rest. When your companions are well enough, we will ask more.”

  Tathan took the wine back to the suite. They checked on Liselle and Vevin to find them sleeping hard. Both looked exhausted and gaunt from their ordeal. Rojuun had stripped their dirty robes and covered the sleeping pair. Vevin’s arms wrapped protectively around Liselle who was curled up against him. Tathan sighed and headed back to his own room where Sir Danth helped him into bed. He fell asleep immediately.