Dracon and the Edge of the World

by Michael T Payne

  “Lord Dracon? That’s quite a name, I think any of us here would remember a lord of the court with a name such as that?” Emperor Marwood observed.

  “Yes, he claimed to be a prince, of a land called Ganlin.”

  “I’ve never heard of it?” Emperor Marwood commented.

  “I assumed it was across the sea. But, seeing what I saw of them firsthand. I have come to believe it was a lie. She is a powerful sorceress; I’d say she rivals the women of Efiga.”

  “Truly?” Emperor Marwood asked, the other men around the table murmured amongst themselves.

  “Witch chains, gentleman, she tossed them off as if they were nothing, then knocked Kazar out with a mere flick of her wrist. She held me several feet above the ground, in what I can only imagine was an unseen servant, or invisible hand. She controlled fire as well, then upon their escape, she summoned a Nightmare!” Lord Vette’s declaration shocked the men.

  “A Nightmare?” Emperor Marwood asked, “And you did not alert us immediately?”

  General Dacozo and General Trendam stood at once.

  “We need to alert the battalion at Horsehead bay, have them move in on Rethland, surround them at once!” General Trendam announced.

  “They are gone, I’ve had men looking for them, trying to pick up their trail. They are heading east.” Lord Vette added.

  “Send for Lady Gladys, we need her guidance, at once!” Emperor Marwood stood, “Cosik, you risk our lives with your silence on this matter! Everyone out! Show Lady Gladys in when she arrives. Not you Cosik, you stay!”

  Lord Vette had started to stand.

  “Your Holiness, I was preparing a solution, before I brought you a problem.” Lord Vette said returning to his seat.

  The door opened abruptly, and Lady Gladys entered. She was a taller woman, with blonde hair twisted in a spire above her head. Her gown was purple, with gold accents. Both men stood when she entered. She bowed to Emperor Marwood then nodded to Lord Vette.

  “Please, my lady, have a seat, I fear we are in need of your council.” Emperor Marwood said returning to his seat.

  A guard pulled a seat out for Lady Gladys.

  “I serve your Holiness,” She said after sitting, “How can I be of service?”

  “A Nightmare was summoned in Rethland, by a summoner, or sorceress, I don’t know which.” Emperor Marwood explained.

  “A Nightmare? Truly?” Lady Gladys cocked her head in surprise.

  “I saw it summoned myself, in Sybil, before my very eyes, so did hundreds of guests, who thought it was part of the entertainment.” Lord Vette elaborated.

  “In Sybil!” Emperor Marwood exclaimed with surprise, “You had these threats in the very heart of the kingdom?”

  “If I may, your Holiness, a Nightmare cannot be summoned. There must be another explanation to its sudden appearance,” Lady Gladys said looking at Lord Vette, “It is no secret that Lord Vette pays handsomely for magical beasts of all kinds… then pits them against one another. I’d wager the creatures have grown tired of your games, Lord Vette. Maybe that is what summoned the Nightmare?”

  “They are mindless beasts!” Lord Vette growled.

  “A mindless beast that can travel the ethereal plain, is immune to fire, and can know the evil of a man’s soul. You think a creature like that, mindless? Void of intelligence? No, I think many of these magical creatures you kill for sport, or entertainment, have more intelligence than those who watch them die. I say these creatures are coming to know of Lord Vette, and his games. My sisters of Efiga and I, have a wager, how long before you are devoured by one of these creatures and these games of yours are brought to a violent end, with your death?” Lady Gladys looked at Emperor Marwood, “This sorceress, if she is one, we will find her, we will establish what threat she is, and eliminate her, should we have no other recourse.”

  “What other course of action do you intend for her and those she travels with?” Emperor Marwood asked.

  “If she practices magic, then she will serve your Holiness as a member of the order, or she will be burned alive as a heretic. The others, if you so desire, will be put to death on the spot. Your Holiness can decide if these actions will be acceptable?”

  Emperor Marwood calmed greatly, put at ease by Lady Gladys’s own calm demeanor. She was fearless and her explanation seemed reasonable. She was, after all, the most powerful magic-user in the kingdom and Sister Supreme of the Order of Efiga.

  “Lady Gladys, as always, you make me feel like a fearful child, we thank you for your service and turn this matter over to you entirely. I expect updates regularly, and should you need military assistance, I will alert General’s Dacozo and Trendam to be on call for you.” Emperor Marwood smiled, “You’re dismissed, Cosik.”

  “Your Holiness, may I suggest…”

  “No, you may not, you are dismissed!” Emperor Marwood stared at Lord Vette until he left the room.

  Lord Vette waited outside the conference room hoping Emperor Marwood would pass by that way so he could have another word with him. It was a long wait, whatever more the emperor had to discuss with Lady Gladys, it went on for several hours. Still, Lord Vette waited. Lady Gladys was the first to leave the conference room. She spotted Lord Vette immediately, waiting in the wings to the side of the main hall. Lady Gladys walked over to him; he gave her a polite bow.

  “You are a fool, Lord Vette, to play such games in the capital. I understand it was a centaur this time. Which one of your guests was it that brought that centaur to die?”

  “Lady Gladys,” He bowed again, “You know I do not discuss the guests at my party, or what occurs within.”

  “Fortunate for us, your guests aren’t so tight lipped about what goes on at your little get-togethers.” She cocked her head at him. Lady Gladys despised Lord Vette, “What was her name, this wandering girl who slapped you and Kazar about?”

  “She called herself, Lady Talila Preswynn.”

  “What kind of man was this, Lord Dracon?”

  “How do you mean?” Lord Vette asked, for no other reason than to annoy her. He knew exactly what she meant. She gave him a cold stare. He was quiet a moment more, enjoying her annoyance, “He is a man of violence, I watched him dispatch five men at the same time, in hand to hand combat.”

  “You’re exaggerating.”

  “I am not.” Lord Vette chuckled.

  “Will that be your excuse for why your guards could not capture at least one of them?”

  “I do not believe that was called into question? Unless you’re asking now?”

  “I am asking. How is it you manage to capture all manner of magical beast but fail so miserably with a simple, human, girl?” Lady Gladys smirked.

  “Come to think of it, I’m not so sure she was human? She certainly wasn’t simple.” He pondered, “As I said, our witch chains were useless against her. She was also able to change her form to a winged, horned, creature, of some sort.”

  “And your blades? Were they useless?” Lady Gladys asked raising an eyebrow.

  “I truly hope you catch up to her, you will see for yourself the difficulty I endured.”

  “Indeed.” Lady Gladys’s condescension dripped from her lips.

  The doors to the conference room opened again and Emperor Marwood’s guards poured from the room, then the emperor himself in their midst, surrounded completely. They were marching down the hall quickly, and with purpose. Emperor Marwood glanced around the hall as he walked, spotting Lord Vette and Lady Gladys.

  “Cosik, join me.” He ordered without slowing his march.

  Without a word to Lady Gladys, Lord Vette rushed to join the marching guards surrounding the emperor. It took Lord Vette a moment to pass between the guards and join the emperor’s side. He had to dodge the guards who were in full stride and cared very little for his inconvenience over keeping their formation. The emperor relaxed his stride when Lord Vette joined him.

  “Cosik, you are one of my oldest and dearest friends.” Lord Vette knew a s
colding was to follow, for they were indeed old friends, “Have I not taken care of you over the years?”

  “I would say…”

  “I know being a prince has put our friendship at odds at times, but as I accomplished in life, so too, did I award you a station at every level of my rise to power. I have kept you at my side, my old friend, my confidante, since we were children. I am the emperor of the world!” Emperor Marwood stopped, as did the guards surrounding them, “Ferranot is my home, it is where the armies of the empire stay, it is where I make plans for military conquest, I gave you the sister city of Sybil, the jewel of the empire, creator of the finest quality of goods and materials, a city of pure opulence. I want you to run it! Not get lost in the pleasures within!” The emperor turned to Lord Vette, “Of course I’m not saying you can’t dabble, I myself make it a point to attend at least one of your parties a year, but restraint, Cosik, that, is what I’m asking. You make your home into a carnival every month. I understand it is a great morale for the other lords and ladies. But this last event is too much? What’s next, Cosik, a dragon?”

  “I can assure you…”

  “I can assure you, Cosik, if you do not taper your indulgences, you will be replaced.” Emperor Marwood gave him a stern look.

  It wasn’t the first time Lord Vette heard that threat, and he knew it would not be the last. It took all he had not to laugh in his old friends face at the false threat. The money Lord Vette flowed from Sybil to Ferranot was never so abundant before he took control of Sybil. The emperor needed Lord Vette to continue running it and fund his military adventures. He would never take it from Lord Vette.

  Chapter Eleven

  Dracon collapsed off Alyndra to one side of the bed, exhausted from making love to her. They shared a bed she made for him in a pocket of another plane of existence. It was a luxurious suite she created and took the doorway with her wherever she was in the world, for just the two of them. While the others slept in their tents on cots, or on the ground. The two of them shared a magically created palatial suite. They lie side by side, panting; all they could hear was each other breathing, heavily. Alyndra started giggling and rolled over, putting her head on his chest. Dracon repositioned himself, putting his arm around her. Alyndra traced a finger down his sternum to the top of his stomach.

  “You are so powerful, my lord. Battle makes you lustful?” Alyndra whispered.

  Dracon said nothing, still trying to catch his breath. He looked over at the balcony and could see the stars and the moon.

  “Is it truly a moonlit night tonight, or is this just your magic?”

  “I like the moon and the stars on a clear night. Do you wish something else, rain maybe?”

  “Rain,” He chuckled, “I can’t remember the last time I heard rain falling?”

  “Do you like the sound of rain?”

  “It is soothing to hear. Better than screams.” Dracon looked down at her with a smirk.

  She looked up at him with a smirk of her own. Rain fell immediately, fast, and strong, pattering against the balcony floor like pebbles hitting stone.

  “Is that soothing?”

  “It is, thank you.” Dracon snuggled her tightly against him.

  “Sleep, my love.” She put her hand on his cheek.

  Dracon thought for a moment she would make him sleep by stealing his consciousness like Talila did, like Venalina did. He closed his eyes, comforted that she understood he didn’t always need someone to do that to him. The rain was enough, her breath on his chest, was enough. His mind drifted, many images flowed, one into another. He dreamed of his home in Ganlin at first, his father, his brothers. He was young, swinging a sword much bigger than he could handle, wearing armor much too big for him. “Dracon!” a voice called; it was his mother’s voice. He ran across the training court, the sound of swords banging against shields echoed in his ears. “Dracon,” The voice called again, softer, more loving. Dracon ran through the long dark hall, it was night, “Dracon.” the voice called. It was no longer his mother; it was a man’s raspy voice. He came out of the other end of the hall to a cliff, overlooking the orc village. He was no longer a child. Then, the orc village was behind him and in the distance, he could see a mountain, it was dark, with black clouds circling its top. “Dracon,” The voice called again, emanating from the mountain, that was suddenly below him and he was falling from the sky, screaming as the ground came up fast.

  “Dracon.” Alyndra shook him awake, he opened his eyes. Alyndra was smiling down at him. He sat up.

  “What is it?”

  “Satana has been looking for us, she’s been inside the hut, she thinks we abandoned them.” Alyndra was dressed and standing at the side of the bed.

  “How long have you been up?”

  “I don’t sleep.” She giggled.

  “Just like Venalina. What was I thinking?” He asked, “Go let Satana know we are still here, and that I’m getting dressed. I’ll be along directly.”

  Alyndra left the door of the suite open when she left. Dracon ran his hand through his hair trying to wrap his head around how the room worked. He didn’t understand what she meant by another plane of existence. Outside the suite, they were still inside the wicker hut, the doorway led back to reality for them, but for others it was just a wicker hut. Then Dracon remembered the mountain and the voice that called to him.

  Dracon dressed and walked to the door, before he walked out, he looked back at the fantastic room that would serve as his new tent wherever they traveled. It made him smile in appreciation that Alyndra took such time and effort to create a place like that for him. She was, as were her sisters, beautiful, and unique. He continued out the door to the orc village. Um’Vec was a few feet in front of the door, just behind Alyndra, who was getting an earful from Satana, behind her was Grik who looked like he was nursing a hangover.

  “Where have you been?” Satana asked as soon as she spotted Dracon.

  “I’ve been… here… it’s complicated, I don’t fully understand it myself, but I’ve… we’ve been here.” Dracon nodded back over his shoulder at the wicker hut, “You just couldn’t see us.”

  Satana narrowed her eyes at him.

  “We just killed a thousand men. That orc leader is waiting for you to tell him what to do now. I want to know what you think we’re going to do now?”

  “Where is he?”

  Satana looked behind her to where the Chieftain was having a conversation with Rhugzun and Rayna, it looked like more of an argument. Dracon walked over, followed by Satana and the rest of his group.

  “My lord,” The Chieftain turned and walked over to meet him when he saw they were approaching, “Where shall we go now? What are your orders?”

  Dracon looked at each of them considering the Orc Chieftain’s question. He took a long look at Rayna, considering what to do about her. What did she want? he wondered.

  “First, strip those bodies and arm your people. Then pile them up, along with everything you can’t use, and burn it all.” Dracon ordered.

  “Will we march on the empire, Dark Lord?” The Chieftain asked.

  “Ha!” Rayna burst out.

  “Old fool, we are only two hundred strong, not counting the women and children!” Rhugzun growled.

  “How well do you know those hills we came through?” Dracon asked.

  “We know them well,” The Chieftain answered, “I’ve hunted them since I was a child.”

  “Move your village closer to the narrow passages, you’ll need a place to run to when they come back, and they will come back. They will come in search of those we killed. Send a message with the burning bodies; they will think twice. Make no mistake, however, they will come looking for blood, but don’t make it easy for them. When they come, draw them into the narrow passages of those hills, you’ll be able to hold them off indefinitely. At least until you can escape.” Dracon suggested.

  “You aren’t leading us away, my lord?” The Chieftain asked.

  “To where?” Dracon a
sked, “These are your lands, you know them better than I do? Those men came for you. That was your fate. I helped you avoid it… for a time. Now, you have to consider what is next for your people.” Dracon looked at Rhugzun, “You know well, why those men came, and what they intended for you. I am not here to claim leadership of your clan, nor am I some Dark Messiah, here to lead you to victory against your enemies.” Dracon looked at Rayna, “My path leads me in another direction, one I don’t know yet.”

  “I will join you.” Rayna stepped forward.

  “And I,” Rhugzun stepped up next to Rayna, “You are strong, worthy.”

  The Chieftain looked at all of them confused and dismayed.

  Satana grabbed Dracon’s arm, “A word, my lord?”

  Dracon could see the fury in her eyes.

  “I’ll be a minute.” Dracon said to Rayna and Rhugzun, then turned and walked a few steps away with Satana to where Alyndra and Grik were standing.

  “What are we doing here? You plan on taking those two with us? That bastard wanted to kill you yesterday.” Satana said not even trying to keep her voice down, “Let me remind you, she gave him her sword to do it with! Does that sound like someone who has your service at heart?”

  Dracon chuckled, orcs were around them, tending to wounds, others were admiring weapons and bits of treasure they scavenged from the bodies on the battlefield just outside the village. Dracon looked at Satana still amused, then at Grik and Alyndra. Behind Alyndra, in the distance, Dracon could see a clouded mountain. It was the same one from his dream. He stared at it, considering if it was in his dream because it meant something, or, was simply part of a dream, that was nothing more than a dream. Dracon looked down at his Unholy Reaver, but it was quiet.

  “Nothing to say?”

  “What?” Satana answered instead of his sword, “I’ve said plenty?”

  “Yes, you have. I haven’t decided anything yet.” Dracon turned back to Rhugzun and Rayna, then pointed at the mountain, “What is that place?”

  The Chieftain looked at the mountain in the distance, then at Rhugzun.