Raising her scepter high into the air, Jalene’s power hungry voice rang out. “Come Gilmreth, and partake of the feast we have prepared for you. Feed upon that which you so strongly desire!” Jalene’s eyes seemed to take on a haunting glow of their own as she watched the descending dragon.
Storn Daes gestured to two of his priests, and they stepped forward uneasily, a frightened, struggling young girl held tightly between them. Going to the edge of the sacrificial platform, which overlooked the crowd below, they locked iron manacles around the girl’s ankles. The shackles were set securely into the stone. They hurriedly completed their work, glancing furtively upward at the steadily descending, circling dragon. They stepped quickly back, leaving the frightened girl alone at the edge of the platform.
“Behold the sacrifice to Gilmreth; only those found pure of body and soul can appease the mighty dragon!” Jalene’s voice rang out, her face glowing with triumph as she gazed upwards at the descending dragon.
A horrid shriek split the crowd as a mother recognized her helpless daughter upon the platform. “Oh God, no!” she screamed, realizing what was about to happen. Not her daughter! “Somebody, please help her!” she pleaded, wringing her hands and looking desperately at the people around her.
In the flickering light of the burning torches, Gilmreth appeared, swooping downward to land upon the temple platform. His mighty head looked down upon the frightened crowd below, finally turning his yellow-red eyes to glare piercingly at Jalene, wondering if this was the human who had dared to summon him.
Jalene stood gazing unflinchingly at the dragon with the Stone of Loraine in her left hand. Her priests, trembling behind her, gazed in terror at the dragon and stepped backward very slowly, were wondering if this woman could actually control this creature. Only Storn Daes held his ground, his cold eyes unwavering as he stared at the dragon.
Very few of her priests had believed the dragon existed, and fewer had believed she could actually summon the creature. Now, here Gilmreth was, standing on the platform with them. Proof beyond doubt that the dragon did indeed exist, and Jalene’s stories were true.
“Feast upon the sacrifice I have brought you,” commanded Jalene, focusing the power of the Stone of Loraine on the dragon’s weakened, half-starved mind and body, causing a glowing red radiance to cover the dragon.
She impressed upon Gilmreth the will of her mind once more, binding him inexorably to her control with the Stone of Loraine. She could sense the hunger radiating from the dragon after centuries of starvation. She could feel the resistance in Gilmreth’s weakened mind to her demands.
The dragon didn’t want to be controlled. In his weakened state, he was finding it hard to resist Jalene and the magical stone she held. The red radiance grew brighter as Jalene used the power of the Stone of Loraine to bind the dragon to her will.
Looking down, Gilmreth sensed the fear radiating from the innocent young girl beneath him. The girl’s eyes were wide open in shock, and her face covered with horror. Driven by ravenous hunger, the dragon folded its wings slowly around its offered victim. The dragon’s head dipped hungrily downwards. For now, Jalene and the Stone of Loraine were in control. He would allow it.
“Help!” the young girl wailed in terror. She felt the dragon’s hot, acrid breath on her face, causing her to sway on her feet. She looked upward into the cold, unwavering eyes of the dragon and the dragon’s open mouth with its razor sharp teeth. She saw her imminent death.
One loud, blood-curdling scream, which cut off suddenly, spoke the fate of the young sacrifice. The crowd fell silent, stricken by the horror taking place at the top of the temple. Its wings, which formed a shield around it, hid the dragon’s fearsome head. A dim, nebulous red glow seemed to build up around the creature as it fed. The girl’s mother fainted as she realized what was happening to her daughter. She crumbled to the ground to lay there in shock, hysterical sobs racking her body.
At last, a partially satiated Gilmreth rose up to his full height and a loud bestial roar split the cool night air. Jets of red dragon flame poured out of the dragon’s mouth to challenge the night as Gilmreth felt the life renewing energy flow through his weakened veins. Only a small red smear upon the white stone marked the minuscule remains of Gilmreth’s feeding.
Gesturing to Storn Daes, Jalene had the second sacrifice brought out. This girl, a young, buxom blond, allowed herself to be led mutely to the manacles beneath Gilmreth, which were covered in blood. Gilmreth eyed the three, his hungry gaze focusing upon the young woman being led by the two priests.
Jalene, with the Stone of Loraine, continued to impress upon Gilmreth that as long as the dragon obeyed her wishes he would find plentiful supplies of food to feed his ravenous appetite.
Watching the priests attach the manacles to the girl’s ankles and then withdraw, Gilmreth bent his head to stare with large yellowish red eyes upon his victim. His fetid breath caused the girl to swoon and collapse in fear and shock at what stood above her.
The girl instinctively looked upward, her eyes going blank in terror from where she lay upon the hard, unyielding stone of the temple. In the last moments of her life, she slipped into mindless insanity.
Folding his wings, Gilmreth fed again. The crowd below was silent. They were simultaneously attracted and repelled at the same time by the gruesome scene being enacted on the temple platform above.
As soon as Gilmreth was finished feeding, he turned to stare at Jalene. Her priests stepped back even farther in fear except for Storn Daes, who stood expressionless directly behind Jalene, watching. Its mind more lucid, the dragon considered Jalene’s offer in its semi-intelligent brain. It understood the concept of cooperation; humans in the past had tried the same thing. As long as these humans furnished victims of purity Gilmreth would cooperate, failure to do so would bring overwhelming repercussions. In his primitive mind, Gilmreth agreed to Jalene’s demands. Turning to lie down upon the temple platform, Gilmreth gazed down at the stunned crowd below. For the moment, the dragon felt satiated, its burning hunger lessened.
Jalene walked over to Gilmreth to stand beside the dragon, the Stone of Loraine held protectively in her hands. The dragon was hers! For a moment, she gazed at the dragon. Here was the final piece in her plan to control Draydon and the people around it. Gilmreth lay before her in all of his awesome power and glory. She felt omnipotent at the power she now wielded.
“Behold Gilmreth, the great dragon, enforcer of the rule of the temple!” spoke Jalene, looking down at the silent crowd. “We will build a new, magnificent Draydon. People will be brought from all the surrounding towns and villages to worship and serve at my temple. Behold Gilmreth, behold the dragon, I am the Lady Jalene, ruler of Draydon!” Each individual in the crowd heard her words clearly, although her voice hadn’t been raised. Her voice carried clearly across the large square and the surrounding area.
Silence held the captivated crowd. Then, one of the temple guards shouted out. “Lady Jalene, conqueror of the dragon, Jalene! Jalene!” Others in the crowd picked up the chant, soon thousands of voices were raised shouting Jalene’s name.
On the temple platform, Jalene watched the scene, drinking in her domination of the populace, feeling all-powerful in her victory. Nothing could stand in her way now; with Gilmreth and the Stone of Loraine, the world was hers!
Tomorrow she would start gathering people from the surrounding area. Much work would have to be done to build her city. The stone quarry would have to be enlarged, a new road built to allow the heavy stones to be moved easier, fields freed of the old poison so the large population she envisioned could be fed. Yes, she had much to do, but the rewards in the end would be truly great. The world would be hers. She would rule that world from a magnificent city, the likes of which the world hadn’t seen since the Golden Age itself.
-
Lynol walked slowly over to the glowing figure of Malcon, her thoughts racing furiously. She tentatively reached out for the dragon, but she couldn’t sense him. Gilm
reth was out of her range. Her ability seemed to be blocked from sensing much on the other side of the mountain for the moment. Perhaps the Stone of Loraine was shielding the other sorceress from Lynol.
“The dragon will be in Draydon by now,” Malcon spoke, his voice grim, a stoic look upon his face. “There is nothing we can do. The other sorceress and the dragon are beyond our reach and power. There is nothing we can do for the people of Draydon.”
“What are we going to do?” Lynol asked with an odd catch in her voice. “We both know that I’m not strong enough to face the dragon or this other sorceress.”
This was what Lynol had feared the most; what her haunting nightmares of recent had warned her of. Gilmreth was awake and she was powerless to stop the deadly creature. Their best hope had been that Lynol would become strong enough with sorcery so she could accost Gilmreth in his lair before he awoke. To take advantage of his weakness after a thousand years of sleep and further strengthen the sleeping spell so it would remain unbroken for another thousand years. Now those plans lay in shattered ruins.
“For now, nothing,” replied Malcon, folding his hands before him and gazing compassionately at his young student, knowing what she must be feeling. “We will gather information and try to learn what is happening in Draydon. But most of all, no one must learn of you and your abilities. It will be several long years before you are ready for that which is your destiny.”
“And we just let the dragon pillage and destroy everything during that time?” asked Lynol, feeling helpless.
She started to realize how Lys must have felt when her father had warned her not to take action against the dragon. It was strange how their lives were becoming so similar.
“We have no choice,” Malcon replied in a soft, compassionate voice. “To meet the dragon or the other sorceress too quickly spells certain doom. It will accomplish nothing and take away all hope. If we wait, our time will come and this scourge may finally be removed from our world.”
“But what will be left of our world if Gilmreth is allowed to roam free?” Lynol asked in a terribly worried and frightened voice. How many of her friends might have to die before she was ready to face the dragon? How was she going to explain all of this to Kalvin and Dresdia? Dresdia was going to panic when she found out the dragon was awake.
“We must wait!” Malcon said determinedly, his blue eyes meeting hers. “If this other sorceress does indeed control Gilmreth, then perhaps we may be given the time we need. She has built this great temple. I doubt that she seeks the total destruction of the human race. She may keep Gilmreth reigned in, at least for a while, perhaps long enough to complete your training.”
“Lys’ amulet; when can I start using it?” Lynol asked, her gaze wandering over to the other dais where the amulet still rested beneath its protective silk covering. She had been using her own amulet during her training, even though she suspected that Lys’ amulet was a thousand times more powerful.
“When you’re ready,” Malcon replied in that patient teaching tone he used so often. “Lys’ amulet, if used outside this room, would create a powerful disturbance in the energy currents, which might be detectable by the other sorceress. In addition, your own amulet is surprisingly strong. I have no rational explanation for its strength, but for now it will do very well.”
“Then teach me, help me understand my abilities!” Lynol demanded with a look of determination growing upon her young face. “We must complete my training as soon as possible.” She could hardly stand the thought of what must be occurring in Draydon, and she was powerless to stop it!
“The lessons shall continue,” replied Malcon, knowing the danger waiting in the nebulous future for his young student.
Malcon knew how uncertain that future would be. He knew how long it took to train a sorcerer, much more time than they probably had. Now, with the awakening of the dragon, they would have to come up with a new plan to defeat Gilmreth and eventually this other sorceress. He gazed at Lynol, recognizing her potential, and hoping fervently she would survive the dangers which lay in her future.
Chapter Nine
The following summer, Lynol, Dresdia, and Kalvin were swimming in the cool crystal clear waters of the pond, taking a day off to relax and enjoy each other’s company. When swimming together, both girls wore swimming suits that just covered the bare essentials. The day was unusually warm with a light breeze stirring the trees, and the pond felt very refreshing. Lynol was really enjoying the time off from her stringent studies.
Since Gilmreth had risen, she spent much of her time in Malcon’s crypt, studying. Her father had taken on more of her chores, giving her more time to spend with Malcon. Leisure time had vanished as she rushed to learn sorcery. Nevertheless, today Malcon had insisted Lynol take the day off to relax. He had explained very patiently to Lynol from his glowing dais that some leisure time was necessary to allow her to assimilate the knowledge she was gaining. Too much study without some relaxation could have disastrous effects, especially where sorcery was concerned.
Kalvin couldn’t help stealing occasional covert glances at Lynol in her wet skin-tight swimming suit. The minuscule strip of thin blue material across her now more than ample breasts left little to the imagination. Kalvin was extremely glad the water was so cool or he might feel embarrassed when he came out. He couldn’t help responding physically to Lynol’s tempting, captivating figure. He hoped she didn’t notice his occasional glances.
Sometimes he had a hard time looking at her face when they were talking. His eyes seemed to have a life of their own and wanted to wander to areas he knew he needed to avoid. What if Lynol noticed? God, he would just die! They hadn’t been able to spend much time together recently, and it had only made his longing for Lynol grow even stronger. Her figure had really filled out over the past year. Kalvin thought Lynol was absolutely gorgeous!
Out of the corner of her eye, Lynol had noticed where Kalvin’s eyes kept wandering. She stepped into deeper water, which came up to just above her breasts. His occasional looks made her feel giddy and tingly inside. She couldn’t decide how to respond to Kalvin’s obvious interest in her. She was still trying to figure out what her own feelings toward Kalvin were.
“Father says the people in Draydon are foolish to obey the sorceress the way they do,” said Dresdia, splashing water into Kalvin’s face, laughing as he began sputtering. That should cool him down a little, she thought.
She had noticed the occasional heated looks Kalvin stole at Lynol when he thought she wasn’t watching. Dresdia enjoyed tormenting Kalvin about his feelings for Lynol. Dresdia had noticed that Lynol seemed to be enjoying this new type of attention she was getting from Kalvin. She knew Lynol had noticed Kalvin’s cavort glances. Dresdia wasn’t quite sure what to make of Lynol’s reactions. Could Lynol actually have feelings for her brother?
“They have no choice,” replied Kalvin, circling his sister with the intention of ducking her at the first opportunity. “Anyone that refuses to cooperate will end up sacrificed to Gilmreth!”
“Gilmreth!” whispered Dresdia, glancing worriedly at Lynol, taking her watchful eyes briefly off Kalvin. “They are sacrificing people just like they did at the sacrificial altar all those long years ago. It’s horrible!”
Dresdia had tried extremely hard not to think about the ramifications Gilmreth’s waking must have had on Lynol. She hated thinking about the dragon anyway. Ever since Gilmreth had risen, her nightmares about the dragon had increased and intensified. Dresdia was fearful of what might happen should Lynol ever have to face the dragon. Lynol was her best friend and she greatly feared for her safety.
Even when Lynol came over to visit, Dresdia had been careful to talk only about the horses, the farm, or Kalvin. Those visits had been few and far between this past year. Dresdia had noticed that Lynol’s face always seemed to brighten up when the subject switched to Kalvin.
Lynol spotted Kalvin getting ready to splash an unsuspecting Dresdia. Taking a deep breath, she dove under the
water and grasped Kalvin’s ankles. Pulling, she caused Kalvin to lose his balance, dragging him under easily. During the last year, Kalvin had really filled out, his muscles growing firmer from steady farm work. Lynol popped back up to the surface laughing and shaking her head to get the water out of her eyes.
Kalvin surfaced sputtering, turning to face both his sister and Lynol. “No fair; two against one!” he pleaded, holding up his hands in submission.
It seemed recently that the girls were always ganging up on him. He wished they could spend more time together. But Lynol’s studies occupied her nearly every day now. He spent a lot of his time thinking about Lynol and wondering how she felt about him. Girls were so hard to understand. He had been careful not to do anything Lynol might find offensive.
“Too bad,” Dresdia laughed teasingly, as both girls began splashing Kalvin with cascades of sparkling water.
Lynol smiled playfully. It was so much fun to torment Kalvin. She had really needed this. She could already feel how much more relaxed she was. The pressure from all of her studying had been weighing heavily on her recently, especially with what they knew or suspected was going on in Draydon.
Determinedly Kalvin lunged forward, grabbing both girls through their splashing, dragging them under amidst their screams and carefree laughter. Then, grabbing Dresdia while they were all three under, he pulled her tight against him. He planned to throw her high up into the air as they surfaced so she would make a big splash. She would make a resounding crash in the water he thought, satisfyingly. Plus, he knew she would be screaming loudly in protest.
Coming to the surface, he froze when he realized it was Lynol he held tightly instead of his sister. He became heatedly aware of Lynol’s breasts pressed softly into his chest and the look of stunned, embarrassed surprise on her face. For a moment, Kalvin continued to hold Lynol firmly, staring into her beautiful light blue eyes before he released her and stepped back.
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