Siege of Draestl

by Randall Seeley

  From the sadness in Korin’s voice, Wayd knew something had happened to him. “But things changed?” he finally asked.

  “They did,” Korin said sadly. “Power is an interesting thing. I saw the good Shraegar did with it, but unfortunately power can be an enabler of evil as well. As the Red Claws grew in strength, so did his ambition. Over time, uniting the Draebek wasn’t enough. He wanted to conquer the world. He wanted to bend others to his will. He wanted to rule.”

  Wayd couldn’t help but see the similarities to Thraegar.

  “And eventually,” Korin said with a sigh, “the Draebek saw that they didn’t have another Grind trying to lead them, but another Graethar. And so they devised a plan—with several Red Claws a part of it—to take him out. I still remember that morning…”

  Korin trailed off as he looked into the distance. Wayd glanced at Gauden and saw that Gauden was just as interested in the story as he. Perhaps Gauden is hearing this for the first time as well.

  “I was in the room with Shraegar’s son, teaching him how to hold a toy sword, when the assassins came. Shraegar didn’t have a chance, as they had killed the guards in an instant. I had stepped out into the hallway just in time to see Shraegar, and then his wife, cut down before my eyes. I knew that Shraegar was becoming corrupt, but I still loved them as my own family. And I made a decision at that time to save their son.”

  “Thraegar,” Wayd said as he connected what was happening.

  “Thraegar. He was only three years old. I grabbed him and leapt from the window. I’m lucky the fall didn’t kill us. I landed and then ran. Luckily, not everyone in the Red Claws was against Shraegar, and so a massive battle occurred within the clan, and family fought against family until finally the battle ended. At that time, the Red Claws were disbanded.”

  “That started the journey that Thraegar and I were on when we found Gauden,” Korin continued. “For years I tried to use Thraegar to reunite the Red Claws, but they were always for selfish reasons. I wanted protection for Thraegar. I wanted an army behind him so that if one of the clans grew bold, there would be a way to survive. I wanted to put the other clans in their proper place. After all, what they did to Shraegar—even if he had gone too far—was unacceptable. The Thornclaws deserved revenge. So for years I spent time with Thraegar trying to reunite the Red Claws. But the Red Claws wanted nothing to do with Thraegar. They wanted nothing to do with anyone.

  “As a result, I spent the next several years hiding and running for our lives. Trying to stay as hidden as possible. It was a lonely life, and one filled with hardship, but we survived, and as Thraegar grew up, I raised him personally,” Korin continued. “And I did my best to try to raise him on correct principles. Principles his father never had. His father was entitled and felt like Grindhold belonged to him. The Thornclaws have a lot on their shoulders, being the only family to ever lead a united group of Draebek. But sometimes that pressure turns to tyranny, and that is what Shraegar Thornclaw did. He would force others to his vision, and if they argued he’d execute them. He was ruthless, and so focused on fulfilling his destiny that he would do anything to accomplish it.”

  Sounds a lot like Thraegar, Wayd thought. He looked at Gauden and they shared a look of understanding. Wayd saw Gauden open his mouth to say the words they were both thinking but shut it just as quickly as Korin continued.

  “But my goal was to raise Thraegar differently. I never lied to Thraegar about his heritage, and he had a desire to unite the Red Claws from his youth, but it wasn’t until we ran across Shadmay Silverclaw fifteen years ago that everything began to accelerate.”

  “The prophecy?” Wayd asked.

  Korin nodded. “The prophecy. After years of Thraegar being in hiding, the Draebek assumed he had died, and as he was forgotten, we were able to start roaming the land more freely. I was recognized as Shraegar’s general, but over time they forgave me. And Thraegar, he was always introduced as my son.

  “He was in his early twenties when I decided it was time for him to meet the Shaman. My intention was to show Thraegar what they were like—for we had mostly avoided them before that time simply because we didn’t want to be recognized. But he had to be exposed to our religion. The Shaman are the lifeblood of our people, so it was vital that Thraegar understood them. Looking back, that was a pivotal moment of our journey. For if we had never been there, we would have never heard the prophecy.

  “The Shaman had gathered together as they did each year to renew vows and discuss how to further the spiritual needs of our people. There is no leadership amongst the Shaman, but they do defer to the oldest because of their vast amount of wisdom. And chief among them is Shadmay Silverclaw. I still remember exactly what happened as she began to speak. Her eyes grew distant, and suddenly she began revealing the prophecy. Do you know it?”

  “Gauden told me,” Wayd said. He remembered it clearly. “Something about a white dragon appearing in the city of Grindhold to bring the Draebek, as a united people, back to their rightful place in the world?” He shuddered as he finished it. Korin must not have noticed his discomfort, as the Draebek continued on.

  “That’s part of it, but it’s so much more than that. It told us exactly how to be prepared for the white dragon. Not only what we needed to do, but what we needed to have in order to unite the clans. It also spoke of the Thornclaws, and how they would lead the unification.”

  Wayd’s shudder deepened. He looked over to Gauden, who was also listening intently. Wayd remembered the day that Gauden had first told him about Thraegar Thornclaw. The guide had mentioned it on their journey to Draestl over a year prior. He remembered Captain Strath and Templar Arthron giving Gauden grief for the story. But Wayd remembered the fear in Gauden’s eyes at the time. Even now, as the story was retold, Wayd could tell the guide knew firsthand that the prophecy was true. And as he watched Gauden, he could tell the guide knew much more than he had said all those months ago. Gauden knew everything.

  A tingle cascaded through Wayd’s body and he felt a knot form in his stomach. And somehow I am connected to the whole thing…

  Korin continued, “When Shadmay stated the prophecy, the words sank deeply into Thraegar’s mind. He became obsessed with it. Obsessed with finding the white dragon. Obsessed with the prophecy of uniting. Obsessed with finding the artifacts that would help him find the white dragon and prove to our people that Thraegar was the true Thornclaw destined to unite our people. It became an obsession. He no longer had just the goal of uniting the Red Claws, he wanted to unite the Draebek and take back what was rightfully ours.”

  “Artifacts?” Gauden interrupted. “You’ve never mentioned artifacts before.”

  Korin raised a skeptical eyebrow. “That was because you weren’t indebted to us as you are now, but rather the other way around. We told you what you needed to know to prepare your people, and that is all.”

  “But now?” Gauden asked. “Now that we are prisoners?”

  Korin shook his head. “You are not a prisoner, Gauden, you’re my friend, and one that I bestowed protection on because of what you did for me. For Thraegar. But that law does imply you will live amongst us forever more. As such, there is no point in withholding any details from either of you.”

  Wayd swallowed hard, and his mind was racing with questions. Artifacts? He could tell that Gauden was offended and probably wouldn’t ask any more questions, but Wayd couldn’t resist. “What were the artifacts?”

  Korin smiled. “The most immaculate artifacts ever created. There are two of them. The first is the Horn of Grind.”

  “A horn?” Wayd asked, unimpressed. “Like the ones on Thraegar’s helmet?”

  “No,” Korin said as he laughed. “An actual horn. One used for sound!”

  “Oh,” Wayd said as he blushed. Gauden snickered at him but Wayd was certain the big man had no clue what Korin was talking about either. “It’s a battle horn?” he finally said.

  “Yes,” Korin said as he finally stopped laughing. “But a speci
al one that is connected to dragons.”

  Wayd felt his stomach knot.

  “Let me explain,” Korin continued. “The Thornclaws have always had a fascination of dragons, and Grind was no different. During the time of the Bloodheim, it was Draebek who would help manage the humans who were turned to dragon. Some of the Draebek did it out of duty, but there were a few who actually had a gift. Grind had that gift. He discovered that by playing certain sounds, that it would attract and control dragons.”

  “He controlled dragons with music?” Gauden asked, amazed.

  Korin nodded. “And he refined it over time. At first it was just to keep them calm, but eventually he learned how to change the sound the horns produced to communicate with them. Some would be used to call dragons to him. Others taught dragons how to do work. It unlocked the ability to use dragons instead of destroying them. Over time, Grind had a wonderful vision. What if you trained dragons as you would a horse? Teach them to fight alongside you? Gain the ability to fight in the air. Gain the ability to have profound scouting abilities from the sky,” Korin said as he pointed to the sky in emphasis. “You gain a definite advantage. But you need a way to control the beasts. Grind’s horn does that.”

  Wayd couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Wait—but that was Grind. He’s been dead for hundreds of years, right? How are the dragons controlled today?”

  “Thraegar has that same gift,” Korin said with a satisfied look. “He can use the same horn that Grind did.”

  Dear Creator. Wayd knew his mouth was open from shock, but he didn’t have the strength to close it.

  “But it’s not any horn that the prophecy spoke of, but a special horn. One that Grind created and imbued just before he died,” Korin continued. “On his deathbed, Grind was given a vision of the future of his people and how their inner fighting would almost lead them to extinction, and he saw exactly what he needed to do to save them. He saw the white dragon, and the role the white dragon would play. But the key to it all was being able to find the white dragon, without any doubt. Grind knew what he needed to do. So he created the Horn of Grind, and imbued it with the power to find the white dragon. It, and it alone, would be the key to finding the white dragon.”

  “How?” Wayd asked. He found himself unable to resist asking the question. “By magic?”

  “In its own way,” Korin said. “But this magic is unique. The horn itself was used to tame and train dragons when Grind originally created it. But the power he imbued it with before he was overthrown was different. He imbued it with only the ability to sound when in presence of the white dragon. For Grind wasn’t only the leader of the Draebek, but he was the first Shaman. He prepared the prophecy for their return to power, and set the stage for Shadmay Silverclaw to announce it generations later when the time was right. And the Horn of Grind was key.”

  Wayd’s mind raced. “So the horn is the key to proving to the Draebek that Thraegar has the white dragon?”

  Korin nodded. “Absolutely. And Shadmay made sure that all of the Draebek knew of the prophecy. So the fact that we have the horn is proof that Thraegar is the rightful ruler.”

  “Wait,” Wayd interjected. He was surprised at how comfortable their conversation had become, but Korin was open to answering, so he continued to ask away. “You said that it has to sound. Has Thraegar actually sounded the Horn of Grind?”

  Korin cocked an eyebrow. “I won’t reveal all of our secrets, young man. Just know this. The Draebek follow Thraegar not only because he’s a Thornclaw, but because he has the Horn of Grind. Proven and validated. But there is more, don’t you want to know about the second artifact?”

  “I do,” Wayd answered eagerly.

  “It’s Thraegar’s axe. I’m sure you have seen it.”

  “Seen it? Thraegar has swung it at the boy’s head once or twice!” Gauden snarled.

  Korin smiled and Wayd actually found himself laughing. “Yes, that is very accurate, Gauden. I’ve seen it, and too close for comfort.” Then his curiosity took over. “What does it do?”

  “Thraegar’s axe was forged by none other than Grind Thornclaw himself. It was made of pure draestl…not refined, not carved, but born of it. It’s so powerful that it can draw any other weapon made of draestl to it. And if the wielder has the blood of a Thornclaw in it, can even control the other draestl weapons in its line of sight.”

  “Seriously?” Gauden asked with incredulity. “Sounds like a pretty elaborate fabrication.”

  Wayd couldn’t help but feel fascinated.

  “It’s true,” Korin said. “Though I do agree it sounds fantastic. But it’s real, Gauden. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I’ve seen Thraegar pull draestl to him. Grind created it as not only a weapon of intense capabilities, but also as an effective defense. I wouldn’t have believed it either except that I’ve seen it in action.”

  “Then why hasn’t he used it in battle on us? Some of us have draestl weapons. I just don’t believe it,” Gauden said.

  “What’s so hard to believe? You’ve seen the Order of the Dragon’s weapons that are imbued with power. Why is it so hard to believe that Draebek could have such a weapon?” Korin countered.

  Gauden opened his mouth to argue but shut it a moment later. “I’ll have to see it to believe.”

  “Says someone with little faith. Draebek don’t require the faith of humans to fulfill our destiny,” Korin finished.

  The talking died down and they walked in silence for a time, the landscape passing them by quickly. The sun was starting to set, and Wayd was surprised the day was near an end. He realized just how tired he was—his legs ached, and his overall body was exhausted—and he had appreciated the distraction of hearing the tale. But he also wanted it to continue.

  Questions raced through his mind. Korin knew so much more about the prophecy than just a white dragon approaching. The Horn of Grind manifesting the coming of the dragon. The Thornclaw axe that had mystical abilities. The fact that Grind Thornclaw had used dragons as their cavalry. It all started making sense why Thraegar was replicating him.

  “Thraegar is trying to replicate Grind, isn’t he?” Wayd asked. The question was out before he could stop it, and Wayd was relieved when Korin turned and nodded.

  “He is. He began shortly after the prophecy was spoken,” Korin began. Wayd was grateful his question broke the silence. “I already told you how Thraegar became obsessed. But it was a focused obsession. He started with raising a dragon army. He wanted to resurrect the idea of dragons, for he knew that there could be no better symbol that the Thornclaws had returned than appearing on the backs of dragons.

  “So he spent his time training them. As his force grew, Draebek began to pay more attention to him. That is when the stories of Thraegar Thornclaw began to resurface. He was alive. He was a whisperer to dragons, and he was on his way to unite the Draebek. For some reason, everyone forgot about what Shraegar had done, and they were eager for Thraegar to show himself. They were eager for Thraegar to unite them.

  “When Thraegar heard the stories about himself, it fueled his desire to fulfill his destiny. He grew impatient with not finding the white dragon, so he turned his attention to Grindhold. He started believing that they needed to find Grindhold before the white dragon would appear. I was supportive of this approach because Thraegar had started turning cold as he tried to find the white dragon. He would do anything to find more dragons. He delved deep into dralchemy, and enlisted the help of any dralchemist he could find—Draebek or not. He started dabbling in unnatural dralchoms, and it started him on a path I feared. But focusing on Grindhold redirected him. We started out with only his most trusted advisors to find the fabled city. And find it we did.

  “Grindhold,” Korin said as his eyes grew distant and a look of rapture filled him. “Was profound and immaculate. But it was empty of any life. There was no waiting army. There was nothing but empty halls and streets. But it did contain the artifacts of prophecy. In the throne room, enshrined in crystal and on a
draestl shrine, was the Horn of Grin and the Thornclaw axe. Thraegar felt it was manifest destiny. And we now had the means to unite the dwarves.

  “It was on their return journey that they found me,” Gauden interjected, “stuck on the Knife’s Edge, scooting my way forward in hopes of survival. They were astonished to see me, and I them. And what I saw was potential. It was only Korin and Thraegar at that time—”

  “Grindhold had some traps to weed out the weak,” Korin interrupted. “And our force was decimated.”

  “So I warned them. I saw what they had, the commitment in their eyes, and I knew I needed to help them. Not only to protect the other Draebek that were ruthlessly murdered, but I saw in these two the potential to lead,” Gauden said.

  “We were already on our mission to accomplish that very purpose, but Gauden warned us,” Korin said. “If he wasn’t on the Knife’s Edge at that time, we would have crossed to an army that would have massacred us. Imagine if Thraegar had died that day?”

  We wouldn’t be in a war right now.

  “But Gauden did warn us. We found another way out, and spent the rest of that day gathering up villagers and arming them. We didn’t have much, but they saw hope in Thraegar. They saw the Horn of Grind. They saw the Thornclaw axe. And they chose to follow us.”

  “I led them,” Gauden said with a distant voice. “I knew exactly where these men camped. I knew their guards’ rotation. I led them because these men were wicked. But in doing so, I enabled Thraegar’s rise to power.”

  “How?” Wayd asked.

  “We took a band of fifty Draebek villagers and destroyed the entire army of two hundred men. Without losing a Draebek,” Korin answered.

  Wayd whistled. He knew the Draebek were powerful fighters, but farmers?

  Gauden looked sickened. “It had to be done,” Gauden explained. “We ambushed them before they could react. Any who escaped we tracked down and killed. The effect on the farmers was profound and instant. They threw down their shovels and hoes and picked up axes. For they believed their feat was only possible because of Thraegar. And that Thraegar would lead them to greatness. From that point on, Thraegar and Korin went from farm to farm uniting the Draebek under the banner of the Red Claws”