by M Arienach
I smiled, knowing that they had come up with that one on their own. “I am glad that some good comes of this.”
“Some? The iron mines are now in full production, The hardwood forest are being harvested as well and we can barely keep up with our replanting. The whole empire is gaining from this.”
I said nothing as I hadn’t considered that they would market what I had showed them. But then again, it did make sense. She rattled me out of my thoughts with her next statement.
“Oh, I was talking with Dorvus, your house is ready. The staff is already moved in.” She had a strange smile on her face as she said it.
“Staff?” I asked. But she ignored me.
We were in town at the Dragon Head of course. She led me out to the carriage and we headed out towards the valley. We made a small stop on the way to pick up Dorvus.
“Greetings Lord Dragon”
I sighed and stared at him. “Michael, Lord Dwarf.”
“Ouch. Ye not be playin fair now.”
I laughed. “How goes it, Dorvus?”
“Quite well. We took yer idea for the wagons and made small box carts fer the mines.”
I raised and eyebrow at him. “Sometime when you have a free moment remind me to tell you about rails.”
“Fence rails?” He asked puzzled.
“Nope. Ever have a problem with the carts getting stuck in ruts or on fallen rock?” I asked with a smile.
He stared at me a few minutes. “This should be an interestin talk then.”
The miles had flew by, the horses making good time. I wondered at the smoothness of the ride, until I left the carriage and found they had made a smooth stone road out to the house. I wondered how I had missed that. The other building was almost done and there were a few more being put into place. From the foundations all of them would be huge.
As we approached the front of the house, Dorvus stepped ahead and got the door for us.
“Ya be welcome ta yer new home, Michael.”
I stepped through and came to a dead stop, Haladoria running into me. Behind me I heard Dorvus snicker.
“Welcome home, master.” Ravina said with a smile.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. I was quite shocked.
“If I would have stayed on Torgos, the best I could look forward to was to be a whore. Too many had known me. As your servants, we have better status and we get to be in your company.”
“Wait, we?”
She clapped her hands and six others from the group I had rescued came out of a side room.
“Welcome master.” They said in unison.
Haladoria pushed by me with a grin. “Yes, welcome home lord dragon.”
I sighed. “While I do appreciate this house, what am I to do with it? I generally sleep in my pool.”
“This is for when you entertain… guests.” She had a rather odd look on her face as she said it.
The emphasis on the word guests was not lost one me. “Just what do you mean by guests, milady?”
“Oh important visitors, dignitaries…” She smiled at Ravina. “Who knows who you might entertain here.”
I heard Dorvus snicker again. “I see. Entertain.” I shook my head as I looked between the two of them.
Dorvus chuckled. “Ye never know, you might have ta entertain more than one at a time, even.”
Ravina actually blushed and Haladoria’s grin grew bigger. As the silence grew, Dorvus broke it with a tour of the house. The upstairs was mostly bedrooms with a two room master suite. Exquisitely detailed and fully furnished. There was a small study at the head of the stairs. First floor held a large dining area and kitchen on one side and the other held a library and office. We went back further and there was a full ball room across the whole back of the house, complete with an area for a band.
The basement was for storage, food as well as other rooms that were empty. There was a workroom set up there as well and it was well stocked with a lathe and a passable drill press. Across from it was another store room stocked with metal and wood. After seeing the two wings of the house, Dorvus led us back to the center and opened a large iron door. Behind it was a tunnel that had finished walls and led back into the mountain. We followed it back to another Iron door and found behind it a large circular room done in white marble. All of the gifts that I had been given were either mounted on the wall or on marble display shelves. There was a large round platform in the middle with a round squat pillar. On it was the mithril sword that I had been given.
I walked around the room looking. “I do not understand, Dorvus.”
“About the room?”
“Yes.”
“This be yer treasure horde. It be a place that you can display yer treasures and achievements.”
“I see. I don’t know what to say. All I can think of is thank you.” I said quietly.
“That be plenty. Ya have no idea what ya have done fer us. This be small payment.”
I stood there for a few minutes, the stillness finally broken as Haladoria took my hand. “Lord dragon, you had a question earlier about entertaining. If the rest of you will excuse us, I will see to… explaining things.”
With that she tugged my hand and I followed her up to the second floor where we both had a thorough lesson on entertaining. I wondered as I left her sleeping on the bed if she had thought to take into account a dragon’s stamina.
Arienach laughed in my mind.
Right Direction?
We were in a meeting in the map room as it had come to be called. Twas nothing more than a report on the trade and how well it was doing. I think it was an excuse to come to Dragonhaven and drink. One of them said something and zoomed into the area in question to explain his point. Then it hit me. I had made it so that anyone could use my magic. I mean, yes, I knew it, but I didn’t think on it.
I was still sitting on my throne when Dorvus found me that evening.
“Michael?”
“Hmm?” I started. “Sorry, I was lost in thought.”
He cocked his head to the side. “I be seein that. What be botherin ya?”
“Not bother. I wish to try something. Can you build me a pair of archways that face each other. Large enough for an centaur to walk through about ten feet apart?”
He looked at me strangely. “Where ya be needin em?”
“I don’t know. Just somewhere private. Maybe in one of the empty storerooms back at my place.” I said, then paused. “If you build them there, will you be able to get them out?”
“I don’t be understandin, but yea, we could get them out. What ya be thinkin.”
“I am not sure yet. I think I may be changing the world again.”
“Oh, if that be all, then nothin new.” He laughed.
It was in the evening a week later when he came and told me it was done. I had a pretty good idea what I wanted to try, but I didn’t know if it would work. The ride back to my house was quiet as I think Dorvus sensed my mood. We made our way down to the storerooms and I saw the arches.
“Perfect.” I muttered.
“Thankee lord dragon.”
I walked around them studying them. Finally, I opened a portal, centering it on each arch. Then I tried to push the magic into the stone. And failed. The portal faded out.
I stared at them some more. I heard Dorvus shuffle his feet. I couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t take. Both the calling crystals and the map crystal… wait. Crystals. I conjured two crystals and set one in the keystone point on each arch and tried it again. It worked. I found that only one crystal need be enchanted, but with both, it could be opened on either end. I walked through one arch and came out the other.
“Great goblin gods! What have ye done, Michael?”
I shut the portal down. “Walk up and touch the arch, Dorvus.”
He did and the portal reawakened. “Ya know, the world should be shakin because of this.”
I looked at him and sighed. “I know and this is just the start.”
“I think I
may be more scared of ya now than I ere were before.” Dorvus said in a hushed voice.
So, one down. I made two more crystals and tried to link them. I had an idea in my mind of the old radios or cell phones. These would just use planar magic rather than a cell tower. I though on it further and made it so each was pretty much a transmitter and receiver. Then I walked across the room and placed one on the floor and the other across the room on the floor. I walked over by the door and thought to my crystal to contact the one on the right.
“Testing, testing.” I said
Out of the crystal on the right, my voice came out. “Testing, testing.”
The I checked the left one. I looked up and Dorvus was pale and shaking. “Ye don know wha ye do.” He said softly.
“Oh, I have a pretty good idea.” I said. “I will need to work on these some more. I think I will key the crystals to only certain people. Both the gates and the communication crystals.”
“Aye, that be wise.” He said, the shock wearing off. “Ya may want ta ha it make a noise so ya know someone be tryin to talk ta ya. It’d keep em from listenin in as well.”
“I was thinking about not letting them link unless you basically answered it.”
“So they wouldn’t work if ya just did whatever ya did. The other side would need ta let it work as well.”
“Less chance of them being abused, I think.” I said thoughtfully.
I picked the one off of the floor and enchanted the options, then handed it to Dorvus. “Here, this one can be yours. I think one for Haladoria and if they work, one for each of the nobles as well. I am not sure of the gates yet, but I think one in each town would be a good idea, if we keep them keyed to only certain people.”
“Aye, I wouldn’t let this get around to much till we know more about em.”
“I am also thinking of a map room in the towns as well, so we can keep an eye on the borders.”
Dorvus looked up at me for a minute. “Ya be thinking that trouble be comin?”
“Not really, but it would seem foolish not to expect it.” I shrugged “Besides, these are cheap, lives are not.”
“Aye. Well, I am for getting back now, I be thinkin.” Dorvus said with a shrug.
“Wait. One last thing. Can you have the blacksmith make me a steel tube with a hole about the size of my thumb about three feet long and about an inch and a half around?”
Dorvus shrugged. “Sure, I can do that.”
“Tell him to make it out of the hardest stuff that he has.”
“Do I wanna know what this be about?” Dorvus asked with a sigh.
“Probably not. I will probably be in town tomorrow at the Dragon Head. Maybe we can talk more then.”
“Aye, look forward to it.” Dorvus said as he headed out the door.
He stared at the portal gates and the com crystals then thought about the other idea. He shook off the melancholy feeling, then turned and went up the stairs.
“Master, how may I serve you? Ravina asked with a trace of husk in her voice.
I smiled and started to leave, then I thought about it. “Tell me, are you and the girls wishing to be entertained?”
Her face lit up. “Yes master. Which of us do you desire this eve?”
I smiled slightly “All of you.”
I entertained them all. Twice each. A few three times. Until they were all passed out on the bed. I admit I used them to break my mood and it worked somewhat. I gazed upon their smiling sleeping faces and felt my spirits lift.
Flying up to the caldera, Arienach spoke.
“You are going to alter this world in ways no one can predict, you know this.”
“I am well aware. I do not know why, but I am ill at ease.”
Arienach chuckled. “May have been something you ate.”
“No, the blond was quite tasty as was the red head.”
Arienach laughed. “They have quite the tale then, how they were eaten by a dragon and lived to tell of it.”
I laughed as well. “Good night old friend. Methinks the lava calls to me.”
“Sleep well, Michael. I must say that it has been very rewarding knowing you.”
Misunderstanding?
I decided to ride into town. I had been just flying or porting from place to place, that I had missed what was going on around me. I stopped at each of the buildings around my home and explored. The first one they had completed was an arena or a meeting place, I wasn’t sure which. It rather reminded me of the Colosseum. The others were not completed, but I found inside of them a bunch of rooms.
The trip into town was done at a slow pace. I found many stakes in the ground and finally took the horse off the main road and went to look at the pattern they formed. In closer to my lair, I found them quite close together with spaces in between them. They led around the lair mountain in concentric circles. The pattern repeated itself as I moved farther out. Further out, the land wasn’t subdivided as much and I had little trouble seeing that it was laid out as farm lands.
Returning to the road, I made my way to the valley. Just inside the start of the valley, to either side, there was towers with a wall being built. I couldn’t help but think that they had taken my idea about developing around the lair and ran with it. Since I gave them no constraints, it would be a time of discovery for me as each piece of the puzzle was built.
The valley itself had been smoothed at the base. I had carved the valley with fire balls so it wouldn’t have the smooth polished look that magma left. More natural. They had cut into the sides and made an inner wall that was carved, of course, with dragons. They had also added all the races that inhabited the land as well, and the completed designs showed everyone working together in harmony. I rather liked it. I noticed doors in either side, wide spaced and as I let my gaze travel upwards, I found windows. The first two layers were nothing more than slits, but above that there were tall wide windows and in some cases, patios carve into the sides.
I had told the dwarves to move in and they had done a very complete job of it. I stopped the horse and tied it of to a pillar set into the ground with a ring on top of it. The pillar was carved into the likeness of a dragon. Seems to be that the entire empire had a thing for dragons now. Making my way into one of the doors on the left side, it wasn’t long before someone found me. After saying I wished to see Dorvus, I was led across the road and to a door further back. We went into the corridors making rights and lefts, seemingly at random, till we arrived before a plain wooden door. My guide turned and left.
“Ah, greetins lord dragon.” He said as he opened the door. “It be good ta see ya.”
“Greetings lord dwarf, it be good to see you as well.”
He laughed and motioned for me to come it. The room we entered looked as if it could would fit in with any large apartment on old earth. Neatly done with decorations here and there. There was a long couch and a few overstuffed chairs set around a large round coffee table.
“Would you be needing anything?”
I glanced up and my eyes widened. It was another of the elf slaves that I had rescued.
“Nay Felicia. No, come ta think on it, bring us some coffee.”
I glanced over at Dorvus. “Coffee?”
“It be a black drink that may help ta wake ya up.”
“I know what coffee is, I just didn’t realize you had it here.”
“Ah, be a poorer world that does nay have coffee, Michael.”
Felicia returned with two steaming cups. She smiled at me when she sat them down. “Will you need anything else?” Looking me in the eyes.
“Arg, don’t be stealin my servants, dragon.”
I laughed and asked Felicia. “How is the old dwarf treating you?”
“Oh, I have all I could ask for here. He treats us all well and we have money to spend now. The others don’t look down on us, either.” She said enthusiastically.
I chuckled. “I suppose I should look into paying my help. I hadn’t thought.”
Dorvus laughed. “It
be taken care of dragon. We knows ya have a lot on yer mind.”
I smiled as I looked at Dorvus “Out of curiosity. How many of that group made it here?”
He shook his head. “Eventually, most everyone, including a few that had been in the slave pens we took out. They were not welcome with their own people because they were soiled.”
“And you found them all work?”
“Yea, Tirreg and Imar took a couple a piece. From what they be saying, those dragons spoil em rotten. Haladoria and I took a few ourselves and the others found jobs.”
I smiled, then frowned as I got a summons from Calalistos. “Sorry, but I have to go, I just got called from Calalistos.”
Dorvus frowned. “Ya better get goin lad, last time it were black sails.”
“I will let you know when I know.”
I ported and found myself on my landing pad… with seven dragons facing me and a few more flying behind them. Haladoria came running up from the stone to stand with me, which didn’t do much for my nerves.
“Michael, these dragon just flew in and started asking for you.” She said breathlessly.
I looked back around to the dragons. “I am called Michael. What may I do for you?”
An old green ancient spoke. “I be Noregus. We come to tell you that Viennarinia has been stirring up trouble. She is saying that you are wanting to take over the world and make all the dragons slaves.”
I was stunned. “Slaves?”
“Yes.” Noregus continued. “She says you trick dragons into joining you and then tie them to the people of the lands so they cannot escape. Is this true?”
I shook my head. “No. Just a moment.” I took out my crystal and called Dorvus. “Dorvus, can you get the other dragons down here as fast as possible? Seems their friends are worried about them.” After he acknowledged, I turned back to Noregus. “Can you shift so your friends can land? We have a while before the others can make it here.” Then turning to Haladoria. “Could you fetch us some brandy? This might take a while.”