Gwen’s face turned pale. She still had nightmares about the dragon. “What are you going to do?”
Cathy’s face took on a determined look. “This time we’re going to kill the dragon. When we’re done he won’t ever be a threat again.”
-
They soon had the wagon packed with all the items they thought they would need for their trip. Cathy walked up to Gwen and handed her two gold coins. “This should cover everything.”
“You don’t need to pay,” replied Gwen.
“Yes, I do. You don’t know how grateful I am for the wonderful job you did helping to raise Lynol. She’s turned out to be a wonderful young woman.”
Gwen laughed. “That part was easy. Don’t forget, you look pretty young yourself.”
“Just a little older than Lynol,” replied Cathy with a grin.
Gwen gave both Cathy and Lynol a big hug. “You two be careful. Once you get back I still have a lot of questions.”
“We’ll answer them,” promised Lynol.
-
Everyone climbed back on the wagon and they left the store, leaving Gwen standing on the porch watching them. She was greatly worried about Lynol and Cathy. She was glad Lynol had finally been reunited with her mother. It was a miracle. Gwen just hoped they all made it back from Draydon. She was scared to death at what might happen if they had to face the dragon.
Chapter Ten
In Draydon Joshua was once more meeting with Baelen Dal, only this time they were in the temple.
“I’ve gotten the word out. Some of the priests and temple guards will be coming here in the next few days. I told them to come to the temple.”
Joshua nodded. “Fine, once they’re all here we’ll gather the people of the town and inform them of the change in power.”
A look of worry appeared on Baelen’s face. “I’ve been hearing rumors the dragon has returned and is feeding on people in the outlying districts. Did you bring the dragon back?”
Joshua had heard some of the same rumors. Karl had mentioned them after visiting several taverns. “No, however, if the dragon shows up I’ll deal with it.”
“Jalene tried that and Storn sacrificed her to Gilmreth. I was there and saw what happened. The dragon is very dangerous and has a voracious appetite for young women.”
“I’m not Jalene and I assure you I can handle the dragon.”
“Should I arrange a ceremony and a feast to celebrate your rise to power?”
This was something Joshua had not considered. “Yes, do that. Make it as impressive as possible.”
“I’ll need more gold coins,” Baelen said hesitantly. “Many of the merchants won’t want to deal with us but gold will change their minds very quickly.”
“You will have your gold,” said Joshua, his eyes narrowing. It seemed the world was still full of greedy people. “Let’s just make sure this works.”
After Baelen left, Joshua returned to the lavish living quarters he had found within the temple. He was certain these had once been Adam’s. He had made a few changes to make them more to his taste. He had also placed a spell around the temple so people would not notice anyone entering or leaving.
“How did the meeting go?” asked Gail who was sitting on a comfortable couch drinking a glass of wine.
“Everything’s going according to plan. Baelen’s people will start to show up tomorrow. I’ve arranged to have them all stay in one of the inns. The proprietor was quite pleased to make the agreement when I gave him a couple of gold coins.”
“Money still talks,” said Karl. He had a bottle of whiskey he was drinking. “So when do we announce our rule?”
“In a few more days,” replied Joshua. “We’ll have everything in place and make a big production out of it. We’ll also demonstrate our powers so there will be no question about the town people obeying us.”
“What about the complex?” asked Gail. She was wearing a beautiful dress she had found in Jalene’s former quarters. It was a little dark in color for Gail’s tastes but it was very finely made. She was already planning on having more made but in lighter colors.
“We don’t know how many are inside,” said Joshua with a frown. “We’ll have the priest and the temple guards to keep control of the town. We can also expand the temple guards to help keep any of Jason’s people out if they try to come here.”
“I’m worried,” said Gail. She had found some wine in Jalene’s former quarters and had brought several bottles to the temple. She poured herself another glass and then continued. “We have Lynol Sylvar, some of Jason’s people are awake in the complex, plus Gilmreth. Our rule may not be as easy as you foresee.”
Joshua turned his eyes toward Gail. “We’ll deal with those problems as they turn up. Karl and I are both pretty powerful sorcerers.”
Gail took a deep breath. “As much as I hate to say it, we need the dragon. Gilmreth by himself would keep Jason’s people at bay and between you and Karl you could handle the Sylvar woman.”
“Gilmreth,” muttered Karl, not approving of the idea. “Why does it always come down to that damn dragon?”
Pointing to a large well-worn sorcery book, Gail continued. “That’s Jalene’s sorcery book. Inside it there is a spell to summon the dragon. I suggest we use it and try to bend Gilmreth’s will to ours.”
“I’ll look at the spell,” promised Joshua. He wasn’t as certain about being able to control the dragon as he had let on.
“If we had the dragon return during our ceremony to take over Draydon, it would ensure total obedience by the people.”
“We would need a sacrifice,” said Joshua, thinking about what would be necessary to control Gilmreth. This was something he hadn’t wanted to do.
“We need the dragon,” persisted Gail. “Or all of this could come crashing down on our heads. Without the dragon Jason’s people will become a major threat to us.”
Joshua closed his eyes. He knew Gail was right. Of the three she was the smartest one. It was one of the reasons Adam had lured her into their group.
“Let’s assume we summon Gilmreth at the height of our ceremony,” said Joshua. “Karl and I can link our powers and probably control the dragon. If we have a suitable sacrifice it should allow us a better chance of establishing control. However, I don’t think it would be wise for us to make sacrifices a norm. After this one we will encourage Gilmreth to do his hunting away from Draydon.
“Agreed,” said Gail, feeling pleased with herself. She did have to remind herself she would be on top of the temple with Joshua and Karl when Gilmreth arrived. She let out a deep sigh. She didn’t see anything else she could do, not if she wanted to rule alongside them.
Joshua stood up and walking over, picked up Jalene’s spell book. “I’ll look through this and see if there are any other spells we might need. I want this ceremony to be as impressive as possible. It has to be something Draydon will never forget.”
“Hell yea!” said Karl, downing his glass of whiskey. “In a few more days this town will be ours to rule.”
“You’re just interested in whiskey and women,” said Gail, shaking her head disapprovingly. “There are other things much more important.”
“Name one,” replied Karl with a big smirk on his face. “I’ll be happy with those two and in unlimited quantities. I’m going to live like a king.”
Gail didn’t reply. Karl had always been very short minded. At least Joshua could think things through. Gail drank another sip of her wine. She smiled to herself. The wine was surprisingly good. She wondered what other surprises Draydon might have hidden.
-
Lynol pulled her coat tighter around her. They were camped in one of the high passes that cut through the mountains to Draydon. There was still snow in places and she shivered as she sat down in front of the fire. Kalvin and her father had just finished setting up some tents for them to sleep in during the night. The tents would provide some protection from the cold wind and they had some heavy blankets to help keep them warm.
“I wish we could have gotten out of this pass before it got dark,” said Damon, putting his hands out to warm them by the fire. “But it’s too dangerous to travel in these passes after sundown.”
Cathy came over to stand next to him. “We’re making good time and Gilmreth is still far from Draydon.” Cathy put her arm around Damon stepping as close as she could.
Lynol had to smile to herself. It was nice seeing her father and mother together. It was a part of her childhood she had never experienced. She wondered how much different her life would have been if Cathy had never come down with the deadly fever which took so many precious lives.
Kalvin sat down next to her with a plate of hot food and began to eat. “Have you eaten already?”
“Yes, while you and dad were setting up the tents. It’s a lot colder tonight than I was expecting.”
“At least we have a good fire to keep us warm,” replied Kalvin as he ate a piece of smoked ham off his plate. There were beans and bread as well.
“I had forgotten what the cold was like,” said Kristi. She was sitting next to Braedon and both were wrapped in heavy blankets to help stay warm. “When I was a child I remember seeing a lot of snow and playing out in it. My sister and I would build snowmen and snow forts. We would have massive snowball fights with the other kids in the neighborhood. Then we would go home and drink big glasses of hot chocolate with marshmallows.”
Braedon looked over at Kristi. “Do you know what happened to your sister?”
Kristi shook her head. “No, they came and took me to the complex beneath Firestorm Mountain. I never saw my sister or my mother again after that.”
“That was how it was with a lot of us,” said Cathy, recalling her own situation. I was lucky as one of my younger cousins was taken to the complex as well. She’s still in stasis.”
Lynol’s interested was piqued. “We have another relative in the complex?”
Cathy smiled. “Yes, you’ll like her. She’s younger than us but she was developing into a very powerful sorceress before the war started. She just needs to complete her training.”
“I can’t wait to meet her,” said Lynol.
Cathy suddenly shivered and a pained look crossed her face and her amulet flared up. “Gilmreth is feeding again.”
Lynol nodded. She had sensed the same terrifying feeling. “It’s another few days yet before we reach Draydon. When we do, we’ll put a stop to Gilmreth. He won’t be a threat to anyone ever again.”
Braedon looked unsure. His sorcery was not strong enough to detect the dragon. “We might not be able to kill Gilmreth. We may have to use the sleeping spell on him and then imprison the dragon somewhere he will never be able to escape from.”
“Just so we’re done with the dragon once and for all,” said Damon, pulling Cathy closer. “But everyone needs to be careful. Gilmreth is dangerous and he nearly killed Lynol when she tried to invoke the sleeping spell. This will not be easy to do.”
“There are four of us,” said Cathy. Her amulet was glowing with a steady blue radiance. “We’ll be able to handle Gilmreth.”
Kalvin looked concerned. “Don’t underestimate the dragon. It’s been over three thousand years since most of you last saw him. He’s bigger, stronger, and much more dangerous. Don’t forget he hunted down and killed all the other dragons.”
Cathy let out a deep sigh. “I miss Snowden. He wasn’t like the other dragons. He was intelligent and I loved the time I was able to spend with him. Sometimes I feel as if he’s still alive but just very far away.”
Kristi nodded in understanding. “We all feel that way about people we once knew. We lost so many friends in the fighting in the complex. To Braedon and I that was just a few months ago.”
“It’s going to be strange not having Jason around keeping a watchful eye on everything,” commented Braedon.
Kristi nodded her head in agreement. “That’s going to fall on Cathy and Jacob’s shoulders now. I suspect that’s what Jason would have wanted.”
“More on Jacob’s,” said Cathy, her eyes watching the flickering flames of the fire. It was almost hypnotic. “He’s better at organizing things. Moreover, he’s a good leader. We’re going to need that in the coming days.”
“What’s Draydon like?” asked Kristi, shifting her eyes over to Lynol and Kalvin. “Is it similar to Galvin only larger?”
Kalvin started laughing. “No, it’s a little more advanced. You can find literally anything you want in the city if you can afford to pay for it. Adam had much of the city torn down and rebuilt more to his liking. There’s also a big white stone pyramid in the very center where Jalene was sacrificing virgins to Gilmreth. The temple was supposed to be torn down but no one in the town wants to mess with it. It would be a major job to take the pyramid apart and remove the huge stone blocks.”
“They locked its doors and no one’s entered since Jalene and Adam were dealt with,” added Lynol. Every trip she made to Draydon, the towering white pyramid was a reminder of what had transpired there.
“I bet it’s not locked anymore,” said Kristi with a knowing look in her eyes. “If I know Joshua that’s where he’ll set up his takeover. He’s keen on symbolism and the temple is an obvious sign of power.”
“Will they try to control Gilmreth?” asked Damon. He knew how dangerous the dragon could be. “Jalene was able to until Daes took over and sacrificed her to the dragon.”
Cathy’s eyes narrowed as she thought it over. “Maybe, between Joshua and Karl they may have just enough power to bend the dragon to their will. As far as sacrifices go I can’t see Joshua doing that unless he feels it will give him greater power and control over the people of Draydon.”
Lynol yawned and looked over at Kalvin. “I’m ready for bed. We need to be up early in the morning to take advantage of all the daylight we can to get out of this snow and through the worst of the passes.”
“I’ll get up occasionally to keep the fire going,” said Damon. “That way we’ll have it if anyone gets too cold.”
Kristi eyed her small tent. At least it had a floor. “It’s been years since I went camping and then it wasn’t in the cold.”
“We’ll, I’d offer to help keep you warm but we both know you would say no,” said Braedon with a teasing smile on his face.
“You wish,” replied Kristi laughing. “I’ll be just fine by myself. I have plenty of blankets and I know where the fire is.”
“I’ll set a spell to warn me if any dangerous animals come near,” added Lynol.
Kristi looked stunned. “Dangerous animals?”
“Don’t worry,” replied Lynol. “There aren’t that many around and I can handle them if one was to show up.”
“Let’s go to bed,” said Cathy, taking Damon’s hand and heading toward their tent. “Morning’s going to come early.”
Lynol stood up and warmed herself briefly by the fire. It was getting colder and the cloudless sky allowed the starlight to reflect off the snow covered mountains. With a deep sigh, she took Kalvin’s hand and headed for their tent. She wanted to get a good night’s sleep. However, in the back of her mind she was still haunted by what had happened beneath Firestorm Mountain when she put Gilmreth to sleep. She had no desire to face the dragon again even with help from her mother, Kristi, and Braedon. Lynol knew the dragon was extremely dangerous and people could easily be killed.
“Relax,” said Kalvin as if he could sense her thoughts. “We’ll get through this. This time we aren’t alone.”
Lynol nodded as they entered the tent and spread out their bedrolls. Lynol also put two heavy blankets over them to help keep out the cold. She lay down next to Kalvin and she began breathing easier when he put his arm around her and pulled her closer. His warm body helped to chase the cold away. A few moments later Lynol was asleep, but once again her dreams were haunted by a dragon. A dragon standing on the platform at the giant temple in Draydon. Beneath the dragon was a helpless human chained to the sacrificial platform waiting
for Gilmreth to feed. In Lynol’s dream that human was her.
-
The next day Joshua was in the temple meeting with Baelen and other former members of Jalene’s priests and temple guards. The highest-ranking member of the former temple guards was a man named Dalden Sikes.
“If they find me in Draydon my life is forfeit,” said Sikes, eyeing Joshua with suspicion. “Jalene and Daes commanded the dragon and used it to keep the people under control. Can you do the same?” Sikes had fled from Draydon as soon as Daes had been killed. It had probably saved his life.
Karl suddenly laughed. He made several gestures and a ball of red energy formed between his hands. “What do you think? We know much more about sorcery than Jalene did.” Karl allowed the energy ball to dissipate.
Joshua nodded. “Between Karl and I we can control Gilmreth. We’ll summon the dragon tomorrow night when we announce ourselves as the new rulers of Draydon.”
“I’ve found a suitable sacrifice,” said Baelen, his pale face showing little emotion. “I’ve recreated the drug I used to make the supplicants go willingly to the dragon.”
“I have arranged for a massive feast,” added another of the priests. “I told the people I hired to set everything up and that we were celebrating the years of peace we’ve had since Jalene was killed and the dragon driven away. Everything should be ready for the ceremony.”
Sikes stood up and walking over, poured himself a glass of whiskey from one of the bottles near Karl. “There are over sixty former temple guards camped outside of town and twenty more at the inn. I’ll have them here at the temple and dressed in their uniforms before the ceremony begins. Many are still angry at being banished from Draydon and want revenge.”
“No rough stuff unless necessary,” ordered Joshua, staring coldly at Sikes. “We’ll use the temple guards to enforce our rules, nothing more. In time the populace will come to accept us as their rightful rulers.”
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