by Brad Clark
Shouting from the tavern doorway made him think that he should have just killed him. Jarkai stood in the doorway pointing at them. Several Hurai pushed past, bows in hand.
“Glaerion!” Conner shouted.
Glaerion had just finished cinching his saddle tight. His lips moved as the Hurai lifted their bows and aimed arrows at them. He knew that he couldn’t hurt them directly, as his magic would not harm them. However, there were plenty of other spells in his bag of tricks.
The arrows were launched, and almost instantly they bounced backward and spun to the ground as if they had struck a wall. Glaerion stood with his left hand out, eyes blazing, and lips continuing to call forth magic from the Web.
“Ride!” Ryshak called out. “Glaerion has this.”
Conner hesitated, as he did not want to leave the Elf on his own, but he knew Glaerion was stronger and more powerful than he looked. He mounted his horse and turned to see where Nikki was. Already on top of her horse, she was looking back at him, waiting for him. He kicked his horse into a gallop and rode out through the stable’s main entrance. Ryshak was already ahead of them, winding his way through the village streets, not worrying that there were innocent bystanders in his way.
As Conner guided his horse through the village, he risked a look back and saw Glaerion atop a horse burst from the stables just as a flight of arrows passed behind him. More shouting came from the stables and the inn, but they now had buildings between them and their pursuers. Once they reached the open fields, they might be targets if the night sky was light enough. Nikki had raced her horse past Ryshak’s and took the lead. Instead of heading towards the open fields, she took them towards dense woods just outside the village. Conner tried to keep pace with Nikki, but her horse was too fast. Ryshak fell behind as well, so Conner simply followed him. He just hoped that Ryshak stayed in sight of Nikki. If they went too far into the woods this late at night, he was sure he would lose them. It would also be dangerous to ride so fast through the woods at night. It would take one misstep to have their journey end disastrously.
Nikki must have felt the same way, for as soon as she entered the woods, she pulled her horse to a stop. Ryshak stopped as well and turned his horse to look behind them. Conner pulled up alongside just as Glaerion reached them.
“I don’t see anyone following,” Ryshak said.
Conner glanced back. In the distance was light from the village, but he could not see anything else but darkness between them and the village.
Glaerion turned to confirm.
“Well, we have our horses,” Conner said.
“Will they follow us tonight?” Glaerion asked Nikki.
“Who can say,” she replied. “But not likely. After seeing you and what you can do to their arrows, I am sure they would be fearful of following us at night. They might try and pick up our trail in the morning.”
“Then we must get some miles between them and us.”
Glaerion and Ryshak took the lead, using their superior vision to guide them through the dark forest.
Chapter Nine
Elissa shook with fear, certain she was going to die. The dragon held her tightly in its large human-like front claws. Until she had been grasped with them, she had not realized that the beast had four thick fingers and a thumb. At first, she screamed with uncontrolled fear and tried to fight her way free, but the dragon’s grip was too strong. As they rose up into the air, her fear became overwhelming, and she found it difficult to breathe. Her throat became raw from screaming, and her arms were tired from trying to pull the beast’s giant fingers apart.
The pumping of the dragon’s wings reverberated through its body, and it became an almost soothing, rhythmic beat. The dragon had a firm hold of her, and it did not seem like it wanted to kill her. If it did, it could have just opened its fingers and let her fall thousands of feet to her death. Maybe it was just waiting to get to its lair where it could devour her for an evening meal. The thought of that sent her into a sobbing fit, which made her even madder. She knew she was strong and had faced many dire circumstances that had not caused her to cry and wail like a little girl. However, she had never been in a situation where a legendary beast had kidnapped her and flew her high into the air.
When the latest sobbing fit settled, she opened her eyes and looked down. A flash of fear once again swept over her as she saw the ground go speeding past. They were high in the air, and the trees below her were but specks of green. They had reached the mountains, and they were now heading towards tall peaks far to the west of Neffenmark Castle. If she craned her neck far enough, she could see the waters of the Gulf of Taran. Just off the northern coast of the gulf, a black mass polluted the land.
A shiver ran through her, and the dragon seemed to sense it. It pulled her closer into its belly, where the heat of its inner fire could keep her warm.
“You can see the goblin horde from here.” The dragon had spoken to her in her mind, which she found disconcerting. The beast’s snout was several feet ahead of her, and the cold wind was loud in her ears. Yet, the voice was loud and clear as if the creature was standing directly in front of her.
Between the fear in her heart and the soreness in her throat, she could not respond. Seeing the goblin army from this high up and this far away made her realize just how many thousands, or millions, of goblins, were heading across Taran. A sinking feeling swept over her as she realized how futile their meager army was. Even with the help of the Elves, defeating the goblin horde would be nearly impossible. Maybe if they could coordinate with the Tarans, they could have a large enough of a force to put up a good fight. Thell had a small army, but they were less of them than the Elves, and not as good warriors. She knew there were other smaller kingdoms and nations in other parts of the world. Growing up as a princess had its wonderful privileges, but it had isolated her from the workings of the kingdom and what the rest of the world was like. Even if there were willing kingdoms, she had no idea where to go to find them. Or what she would say if she were to ask them for help. It only made sense to her that they would help her out, but lately, nothing made sense to her.
Myllia banked to the right, allowing Elissa to get one last clear view of the Deceiver’s forces before the dragon straightened out and headed towards a snow-covered mountain peak. Straining her neck to look behind her, she could see where the Elven camp would be. From this distance, all she could see was the sea of green trees, the white of snow-covered ground, and the blue of the Gulf of Taran. Part of her wished they were chasing after her to rescue her, but she hoped they weren’t. The Elven army needed to head to Neffenmark Castle to join up with her people and start their attack against the Deceiver’s forces. Her only hope of survival was for Marik and Kaelak to rescue the other dragon, yet she knew that her life was not vital to winning the war. Her survival was not as important as the survival of those who could actually fight. A calm fell over her as she realized that she may not survive the day, and she was okay with that. She was tired, and for the first time in a long time, she would be able to sleep peacefully.
For several more minutes, the dragon flew straight and steady, and Elissa started to calm down. She began to breathe normally, and her fear was pushed aside by a calm resolve. She had done her best to survive and lead her people in a time of despair. Coming on the heels of her father, who had been such a great king, would have been hard if their kingdom was at peace. She was not a general, nor trained in any military concepts, so she knew that she should have expected to lead the army to victory. There were many other qualified generals such as Sir Marik, or even one of the Elves. They were much more qualified to lead than she was. In fact, with her out of the way, it might be easier for them to find victory.
Suddenly her entire body dropped as if she had jumped off a cliff. She let out a shriek and grasped tightly to the leathery dragon fingers. Myllia had pulled her wings tight against her body and dove straight towards the rocky mountainside. Their speed increased, and her heart seemed to get stuck up in
her throat. She couldn’t scream, she tried to breathe, and she could only gasp for air. The mountainside rushed at her with a speed that was impossibly fast. There was no way the dragon could stop in time, and she knew that death was only heartbeats away. She was confused, wondering why the dragon would want to kill them both. With death imminent, she closed her eyes and hoped it would not hurt too much.
The moment when she knew she was going to die, Myllia spread her wings and came to a quick, sudden stop. Elissa let out a cry, and the rest of the air in her lungs exploded out. Stars spun around her head, and she flailed about, unable to breathe at all. Myllia tightened her grasp around Elissa, but not to crush her, only to hold her tight. If she squirmed her way out of the dragon’s grasp, she would fall a long way to her death. At that moment, she would have been okay with that, as it would be a reprieve from the pain she was suffering through.
Suddenly, she could breathe, and she sucked in air as quickly as it would come in. While filling her lungs with the cold mountain air, she opened her eyes to see that the dragon was slowly flying forward. Tucked within the shadows of the rocks was an opening that was just wide enough for the dragon’s body. With a final pull of its wings, Myllia sped into the cavern, landing hard on three legs as she awkwardly held onto Elissa with her fourth limb.
As the dragon came to a skidding stop, she loosened her grip on Elissa. Without hesitation, Elissa squirmed free and fell to the ground, scurrying away as far as she dared. Some light came in from the opening, but most of the cavern was hidden in darkness. She wasn't sure why she was still alive. Maybe she was going to be tortured before being eaten. Although she continued to shake with fear, she vowed to not go down without a fight.
Myllia suddenly turned away from Elissa and let out a loud roar, releasing a torrent of fire against the far wall of the cavern. Elissa had to shield her eyes from the bright light. She could feel the heat from the dragon’s breath and relished in its warmth. The rock glowed a bright red and not only gave heat to the cavern but also lit it up.
“Move as close as you can to the heat,” the dragon said. “It will last for some time.”
Elissa did not move for a moment, still finding it awkward that the great flying beast was talking to her. Before she moved, she glanced around the cavern, now that she could see more of it. The wall that was glowing red was far from the opening, which meant it was protected from the cold winter winds. Further into the caverns, just at the edge of darkness, was a pile of large bones, much larger than Human.
The heat coming from the glowing stones was too appealing, so she slowly walked over and stood amidst the heat.
Myllia settled down onto the ground, her back legs tucked underneath her body. Her one good eye glistened in the red light of the glowing stones, giving a softness to her demeanor. For the briefest of moments, as she sat with her head resting on her front legs, Myllia did not look like the killing monster, but a friendly and peaceful creature.
The floor of the cavern was smooth and also warmed by the heated stones. Elissa sat down, wondering what was next. There was no food or water in the cavern so she couldn’t survive long. A few days at most. If the dragon decided not to heat the rocks anymore, she would not last through the night. She wore a cloak, but it was not meant to keep her warm in exposed elements.
“What are you going to do with me?” Elissa asked. There was no point in waiting to see if she were to be killed or left to die. If the dragon were to let her languish and die a slow death, she would at least try and escape. Fighting back was a better fate than starving or freezing to death.
Myllia released a long, loud breath from her nostrils. She turned her head so her good eye could see Elissa clearly. “Your male companions needed some motivation. I was impatient and running out of options. Taking you seemed to be the right thing to do at the time.”
“Well, I can assure you it was not the right thing to do!” Elissa cried out defiantly. “When my Conner comes back, he will hunt you down and rescue me!”
Myllia let out a snort. “He is but a Human, is he not? Your kind has no power over me. Your weapons are not sharp enough, nor are your brains clever enough.”
“He is not like anyone else! He is strong, and an expert with the sword!”
“There is no steel forged by Humans that could harm me. My scales are too thick, and even if he got close enough, I would just snap him up in my jaws!” She lurched forward and snapped her jaws at her.
Elissa flinched from the movement, but she did not show any fear. “He is the greatest swordsman the world has ever known! If anyone could do it, then he could!”
“He is a warrior, huh? Brave and courageous he might be, but he will die if he comes for you. I will make sure of that.”
“You don’t know my Conner! He will find a way. And when he comes, he will bring his Elven friend, too. You will not be able to stop the both of them.”
Myllia let out a low rumble that was as close as she could come to a truly audible laugh. “Elven magic has no power over me. My very being is tied directly to the Web of Magic, thus no power that draws from it can harm me.”
Elissa glanced down, unsure if what the dragon was saying was true. Although she believed that Conner would do all that he could to rescue her, the beast that sat on the ground in front of her was immense and powerful. It could fly and cast fire from its mouth. Conner would need Glaerion’s help, but if Glaerion could not help, then Conner would find it nearly impossible to rescue her. Her only option would be to escape. Her eyes drifted to the cavern’s opening that was about a hundred feet away. Even if she made it that far, how would she be able to escape down the mountain without being seen, without any provisions, or without any warm clothes? A shiver came over her, and she crossed her arms in front of her. She truly was trapped and at the mercy of the dragon.
“Why are you doing this?” Elissa asked. She was far from tearing up, but there was pain and desperation in her voice. “What have we done to you?”
“Humanity has been a plague upon this world from the beginning. My race was one of the first created by the One God. We were a majestic species that at one time numbered in the millions. We ruled the skies and the land, keeping peace among the tribes of Humans, Elves, and Dwarves.”
“Dwarves? What’s a Dwarve?”
“Dwarf,” Myllia quickly snapped back. “They were a tribe of mountain people that lived beneath the rocks, digging and cutting their way towards the center of the earth, seeking gems and precious stones that the One God hid among the rocks. They were the first victim of the Human plague. Their kind was wiped out by greedy Human tribes that sought after their treasures.”
“I have never heard of them.”
“Of course not. This was thousands upon thousands of years ago. Their legacy is hidden under the mountains and buried by the blood of Humans. The tales of their demise were lost during the Age of War. It was during those dark years that the Humans decided they did not want to be ruled by dragons and wanted to rule themselves. They began a slow, systematic slaughter of our kind.”
“But, I thought you couldn’t be killed by us?”
Myllia did not immediately reply. She stared deep into Elissa’s eyes for a long time. Eventually, she let out a sigh through her nostrils and said, “The story cannot be complete without telling you the whole story. There is a metal that was discovered by the Dwarves. A special metal that could be imbued with magic to be perfectly sharp and impossibly strong. It took the Dwarven metal stolen by the Humans mixed with the power of the Elves to bring us down.”
“But I thought the Elves hated the Humans? Why would they help them?”
Myllia let out a sharp, low growl. “This is my story! Do not interrupt.”
Elissa flinched, subconsciously protecting herself even though it would have been futile. “I am sorry.”
“The fall of the dragons happened before the treachery of the Humans that spawned the Age of War. The tribes of Humans and Elves joined together to create the weapons
that could kill us, but the Elves did not want to kill us all. It was the Humans that were bent on slaughtering us all. As Humans went across the land killing us with their spears, the Elves tried to stop them, and the first of many wars between the two races began. The Elves were more powerful, but there were so many more Humans. Elves lived long lives, and because of that, they did not reproduce quickly. Humans, with their short life span, bred quickly and often, filling up tribes, then towns, then cities. I am surprised that Humanity has not filled up the earth with cities from one end of the world to the other.”
“You make us sound so barbaric and uncivilized!”
“That is because you are! You would think that your short lives would help you treasure all life, but instead, you treat life as if it were easily replaceable. When one Human dies, there are many to takes its place. When an Elf died, it could be hundreds of years before an Elfling was born to take its place. And if a hundred Elves died, maybe only one or two Elflings would fill their loss.”
“What about your kind?” Elissa asked. “Are you like the Elves, then? I mean, you don’t look like them, but do you live as long as they do?”
Myllia’s tone softened. “Just like us, the Elves’ blood is bound with the Web of Magic. This makes their lifespan, and ours, almost immeasurable. Death can still come in many ways, but it gives us long, seemingly everlasting lives. Eventually, yes, age does catch up with us, and we do eventually pass from this world. If our kind reproduced like Humans, we would be living in a sea of dragon-kind, for none would die out, and more would keep coming.”
Elissa found the sudden change in Myllia’s tone perplexing. There was a softness to her voice that also shown in her eyes. The last time she had seen the dragon, she was wreaking havoc on South Karmon, destroying buildings and killing her people. Now, Myllia sat calmly in front of her, as if they were friends.