Omensent: Birth of a Dragon Lord

by Barry Gibbons

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  “I know that they're planning something!” Kaviel ranted, his hoarse voice echoing in the large cavern. “I can feel it!” He cursed, then threw an irritated glance at Tempest, who was lounging against the far wall steadfastly ignoring him. “Wake up, you overgrown lizard!” He roared at her furiously.

  Tempest heaved a great sigh, then slowly raised her great horned head and fixed him with a bored look. “What do you want?”

  “I want you to stay alert for any signs of trouble!” He snarled, his voice cracking. He fell silent for several moments, his breath coming to him in ragged gasps. “Maybe I should just have you burn the entire forest.” He said to himself speculatively. “It would drive them into the open. It might even kill them!”

  “You seem to forget that your base of operations is in the center of this forest.” She reminded him scathingly. “If I torch the forest, your so-called army will be cooked. Besides, this forest receives far too much rain. At worst, it may smolder a bit, but I doubt if it would burn.”

  Kaviel's face fell. “That’s true.” He fell into a thoughtful silence. “I wish I knew what they were waiting for!” He snarled finally. “I know that they are close! I can feel it!”

  “And when they do show?” Tempest growled ominously. “What then?”

  “Then I will get that damned sword!”

  The huge serpent chuckled. “You must be daft! Look what happened to you last time you came face to face with that warrior. He nearly tore you apart! Besides,” She said in a calculating tone. “What makes you think that he didn't hide it away? He may just come at you using his own magic.” She taunted him openly, feeling a great satisfaction as Kaviel's blistered face grew worried.

  “He wouldn't be foolish enough to do that, would he?” The thought seemed to have struck a nerve.

  “He seems to possess a magic powerful enough that he may feel that he doesn't need the sword.” She was subtly placing as many doubts into the slow-witted human’s mind as she could, hoping that one of those doubts may cause him to make a fatal mistake.

  Kaviel limped closer. “What makes you say that?”

  “You have seen what he is capable of first hand.” She looked pointedly at the dozens of black and blue bruises that decorated his body. “It was only luck that you got away last time.”

  Kaviel's face took on a desperate look. “What should I do?” He asked in a frightened, wheedling tone.

  Tempest smiled inwardly. It was almost too easy. “If I were you, I would stay put in this cavern. I would not leave for any reason. You are safe as long as you remain here.”

  “Yes.” He agreed slowly, trying to grasp her logic. “They’ll never make it passed my army. There is only one way in, and one way out of the clearing. Even if they do make it in, I'll just have you deal with them. There are only five of them, after all.” He began to grow more confident. “Then, when it’s over, all I have to do is use the gem to find the sword!” He began wringing his hands in anticipation.

  The scarlet dragon rolled her eyes. The ignorant human was quite easy to manipulate. She had easily gotten him to believe that he should remain hidden in the cavern, when he would really be trapped. The warrior would soon arrive to find his enemy holed up with no chance of escape, then she would finally be free of the cruel-hearted human! She laid her head back down and closed her eyes, satisfied that she had did all she could. The rest was up to Dar and his friends.