Kill the Dragon (Lake of Dragons Book 1)

by E. Michael Mettille

  The old man paused, but Maelich couldn’t fashion a response. Trying to comprehend the filth being vomited to his ears by one he respected so greatly took every ounce of cognizant effort he could muster.

  Hagen continued, “Failure to follow the laws or even questioning them with a logical mind is met with violence and destruction. I decided to get up off my knees and walk like a man. I questioned, not publicly mind you, but in silence, in secrecy. Because I sought to discover truth for myself and not have it fed to me, I was forced to go into hiding. I was afraid my questions would cause men to bring violence on me, and they would. What have I learned in all this time? There are many books, Maelich. Not all of them are saturated in violence. Many of them share similar sentiments to those found in Kallum’s book, but many of them also express stark differences. None of that really answers your question though, does it? What is truth? That is what you asked. I don’t know what it is for me. I’m still looking. Your truth is something you must find for yourself.”

  Maelich was still trying in vain to wrap his mind around one singular thought as he replied, “I too have questioned in my mind. But what can I know which I haven’t been taught?”

  “Ah, that question surprises me from you. Your mind is like none other in this world, save maybe your sister’s. Do you just open it up like an empty chalice and allow anyone to pour ideas into it? Do you let folks tell you how you feel about things? Do you enjoy the violence your path presents you?”

  “No. I never wish to spill blood, but I have to. That is my purpose. That is my role. It was written by Kallum himself,” Maelich’s tone was matter of fact.

  “You learned that from the book. You learned that because that’s what you were told. You didn’t come to that conclusion after analyzing facts. You were told it and now you refuse to entertain any contradictory idea. Additionally, Kallum’s word was written by a man. The message came to him in a dream as images, pictures. The man’s name was Eringaal…”

  “Eringaal,” Maelich interrupted, “the first king of Havenstahl?”

  “Well, not in the fashion you might be thinking. The city of Havenstahl wasn’t completed until long after Eringaal died. The people did follow him, and the city adopted his surname. He never actually ruled the city though. After writing Kallum’s law, he began teaching it. He spread word of it to all who would listen. Most who listened became followers for fear of the fate promised by the book if they refused. After a time, his tribe became quite powerful and the fate of those who refused was accelerated. Many people were tortured and killed for clinging to beliefs which didn’t match Kallum’s law.”

  “They killed people for not agreeing to follow them?” Maelich asked, distraught by the idea.

  “Why does that seem odd to you?” Hagen challenged, “Did you not mean to kill Daritus on the path to Mount Alharin, simply because he bore the crest of the Dragon?”

  He thought for a moment, “I suppose I did.”

  “Of course, you did,” the old man shrugged. “And his only crime? Not sharing your belief.”

  Maelich’s tone gained a bit of force as he replied, “No. His crime was worshipping the dragon. His crime was worshipping evil!”

  Hagen offered a sad chuckle as he slowly shook his head, “And who says Helias is evil? Your book. Your book says everything worshipped other than Kallum is evil. Therefore, anyone who doesn’t share your belief is evil. And what is the penalty for breaking Kallum’s first law?” He paused for effect, “Death. Just as it was over a thousand years ago when the savage tribe of Havenstahl was purging Ouloos of nonbelievers, so it still is today. You are now Kallum’s right hand of vengeance.”

  Maelich sat silently, stunned. The idea sickened him, but the old man was right. Brerto had basically told him as much. He was nothing more than a tool. He was a tool of vengeance. He was the tool Kallum would use to eradicate the last dragon. But if the dragon is evil, why is that wrong? If he can bring peace to Ouloos by destroying her, is it not worth violent measures? What if Kallum were evil? The idea was ridiculous. Kallum created all things. He abhorred evil. The book said so.

  Hagen could see the battle going on in Maelich’s head expressed on the lad’s face. Unfortunately, it was a problem he couldn’t solve for him. He could only show him a path.

  After a few moments, Hagen offered one last challenge, “Grant an old man one request. I realize years of having an idea battered into your head will be difficult to overcome. However, when you do face the Dragon, look in Her eyes. You have the power. Look into Her soul. Search it for the evil you’re convinced exists there before you end Her life. I think you’ll be surprised by what you find.”

  “But she will try to deceive me. She is treacherous, a liar. How can I believe what I find in her mind, in her heart, if she has one?” he shrugged.

  The lines of sadness deepened on Hagen’s face, “If you believe She can deceive you, then I guess you can’t be sure. You can see past lies and deceit. Know this, the only limits you have are self-imposed. Nothing is out of your reach. Once you truly understand this, you can do anything. You can kill the Dragon, extinguish Helias’ flame, or you could choose not to. I must tell you that killing Her will destroy our world. Kallum’s hunger for power has made him conceited and blind. If he succeeds in having you kill Her, we all will be destroyed. Even the great Kallum will meet his end.”

  “More words,” Maelich muttered.

  “Yes,” Hagen agreed, “Someone else telling you how things are and what you should believe. I know. Please, do not take my word for it. Use that brilliant mind of yours. Come up with your own answer.”

  The old man rose and left the room. Again, Maelich was alone with a mind full of thoughts to sort through. He remained in the bed; his mind full of things to contemplate, ideas to chew on, and contradictions to sort out. He didn’t want to do any of it. Swords are so much easier than words. It wasn’t long before sleep took him again. Sadly, all the things in his head he was avoiding weren’t going anywhere. They would wait.

  Chapter 22

  Black Dead Eyes

  The entire morning had been a blur. Maelich had woken to his mother’s kiss on his cheek. After he dressed, she led him to a room where they could relax, talk, and share a meal. Details were scarce for him. He couldn’t stop staring at her, scrutinizing. The idea she was alive was still something he couldn’t quite digest. On top of that, he wasn’t quite sure how he felt about her. The idea he had held his entire life about who she was seemed a distant memory, trampled to death by the real thing. She was nothing like that dead idea.

  The room they ended up in was very small, quaint. The only furniture in the room was a fancy table, etched with hand-carved decorations, and big enough to seat only two chairs. There were two doors but no windows. Across from the door through which they entered was a fireplace. An intricate sculpture of a dragon sat upon the mantel below a large dramatic painting of a dragon at rest. Maelich’s gaze fell on the painting and remained there for a good long while. This dragon didn’t look like other images he had seen. This dragon looked calm, serene. In fact, it almost looked magnificent, god-like. He shook the idea from his mind.

  As they chatted, a young man entered carrying two plates. The food on them didn’t look like anything Maelich had ever eaten, but it smelled divine. It was similar to roast tubberslat, but there was something more, something sweet. The young man set the plates down and left without a word. The queen smiled at Maelich, nodded at his plate and then began to eat. He did the same. His mouth was dazzled. It was some form of meat, but it was saturated in all kinds of different flavors. It wasn’t long before he had cleaned his plate.

  Then the queen spoke, “Well, I guess you were hungry. Did you enjoy it?”

  Maelich sighed and stretched, feeling satisfied, “It was fantastic, like nothing I’ve ever tasted. What was it?”

  “Tubberslat,” she responded in a tone suggesting he should have known that.

  “Hmm,” he looked as if he didn’t b
elieve her, “I’ve never tasted tubberslat like that before.”

  She smiled and raised her brow, “That’s because you’ve never had tubberslat prepared by Dalwin. He has spent his life perfecting the art of preparing food. Doesn’t that sound ridiculous?” She giggled. “Still, there is no one on Ouloos who can compare with him. He studies food like you’ve studied swordplay. He uses some form of a glaze on this dish. He calls it morning dew. He’s explained to me how he does it, but it makes no sense to me at all. I don’t care how he does it. I just love to eat it.”

  Maelich began to feel a bit more comfortable as his mystery of a mother spoke to him. She seemed quite normal, speaking to him as if it were just another day. Perhaps she did that for his benefit. Maybe she wanted him to feel comfortable, realizing that meeting her would be quite a shock to him. He wondered if she was as confused about him as he was of her. It suddenly occurred to him he didn’t know her name.

  He asked, “What’s your name? In all the stories I’ve been told of you, no one has ever said your name.”

  “You don’t know my name?” she seemed quite surprised. “I can’t believe they didn’t even tell you my name. They completely eliminated me from your life. My name is Leisha.”

  “Leisha,” he said her name. Then he said it again, “Leisha, that’s pretty.”

  “So, what have they told you of me?” she sat back in her chair and folded her hands on the table.

  He looked in her eyes, “They told me you bathed in the Lake of Dragons and were impregnated by it. Then you carried me in your womb but when you gave birth to me, I was too much for you to bear. Well, not me myself, but your role as my mother. They said you took me to Havenstahl and left me on the steps of the temple. Then they said…” he paused. “Then they said you flung yourself off a cliff.”

  “Hmm,” a forceful chuckle, “Apparently, I survived my fall. That is ridiculous. Do you want to know how the story really went? I can’t believe they told you I was dead. What am I saying? Yes, I can. They would say anything to twist your mind. Do you want to know? Or have they bred hatred in your heart for me?” her lip quivered slightly as moisture filled her eyes.

  He did want to know, “Yes, please tell me. All my life I’ve been asking about you, and all I know is what they’ve told me. Now that I see you before me, I know their stories were lies. I don’t understand why they would lie to me, but apparently, they have. Please tell me how we came to be apart.”

  “I did bathe in the Lake,” she began. “We lived in a hut near a river at the edge of a forest. It was a dark scary place, The Lost Forest. They say that’s where the lost souls go who have forgotten their way back home, but they aren’t lost. They are trapped. My father had always told me never to go in those woods. No one has ever gone in and come back out. Lost souls become jealous when live people walk about their wood. They torment them and drive them insane. On the eve of the sixteenth anniversary of my birth, a silver lion came to me in a dream. He said Coeptus had picked me to fulfill their prophecy. I would travel to the Lake and bathe in its waters. So, the next morning, I ignored my father’s warnings and tromped on through the forest.

  “The Lost Forest was dark, and it was scary. I could feel those poor, imprisoned souls brushing up against me. I could hear them whispering my name. With every touch my flesh prickled up into bumps. I ran blindly through the forest, falling and falling again.” Her gaze was distant, “I can still remember how terrified I was, how I wished I had listened to my father. I finally gave up. I curled up in a ball against a tree as the whispers of those lost souls turned to screeching howls in my ears. I sobbed. They were relentless. I don’t remember how long I sat in that spot and cried, but it seemed like forever. Then high among the treetops, there was light.”

  The young man who had served them their meal had returned with two fine chalices of wine. Leisha sipped from hers and then continued, “The light descended upon me and the screeching ceased. I followed that light the rest of the way through the forest and was troubled no more by spirits.”

  She sipped from her glass again, “Once I reached the edge of the forest, the light was gone. I can’t describe the beauty of the place which bordered the forest. The colors were so vibrant. The air was warm. There were mountains off in the distance and there were trees like none I had ever seen popping up from the field here and there. It was enchanting. There was a path, and I followed it. It led me to a lake. It was strange, like no lake I had ever seen. It was a perfect circle, maybe two miles in diameter. The water was a deep blue, like the blue of your eyes. I slipped into the water. Instantly, there was warmth in my belly and a tingling down below my waist. I remained only a few moments, but right then I knew I was pregnant.

  “I left the Lake and went home. The souls of the forest didn’t bother me. It was as if some strange force protected me. Perhaps they knew I carried their savior in my womb. Whatever the reason, I made it home. My belly grew. My mother and father called me all kinds of names being I was without a husband. They said I would have to leave them in shame as soon as you were born. Of course, their minds changed when you arrived,” she smiled at her son as she sipped from her chalice again.

  “Well, I suppose you’ve already figured out you came as part of a set. You came first, then your sister. Your grandmother named you. She picked you up, looked at me and spoke your name. Then your sister came, and your grandfather did the same for her. Oh, how they loved you.” Her eyes drifted toward the ceiling as she continued, “I cared for you but a week when they came, the men with the black, dead eyes.” She shuddered at the memory of them.

  Maelich interrupted, “Black, dead eyes, those were Kallum’s priests!”

  “Yes, and they killed my mother and father when they tried to stop them. Your grandmother was a warrior, even better with swords than your sister, and your grandfather was somewhat of a magician. They didn’t stand a chance against those soulless monsters. I slipped out the back of our hut and fled into the night with you and your sister. They followed not far behind. I’m not sure how far we got before the warriors came. Men on horseback surrounded us. You and Cialia had been screaming while we ran from the priests. I couldn’t stop to feed you. We had no supplies. I couldn’t even comfort you as those damned demons kept gaining on us. They seemed to float through the air. Anyway, the riders were there to help us. There were about fifty of them, all bearing the crest of the Dragon. They battled with the three men, but they were terribly outmatched,” she shook her head, her gaze still far off.

  “I witnessed many terribly deaths that night, images which are difficult to think about. About twenty of those brave men had fallen when one of the monsters reached us. He slapped me with the back of his hand and flung me through the air. I was unconscious. When I woke, I was tied to a horse with your cradle, but only Cialia remained.” A tear fell down her cheek, “There were two men with Cialia and I. They told me the dead-eyed men had taken you. The remaining men stayed to fight off the beasts, and these two fled with us to protect what they could. I wept for you for many nights, Maelich. I still do. I’ve missed so much of your life, and I know you have been trained to hate what I stand for. It sorrows my heart. I wanted to come to you, to find where they had taken you, but I couldn’t. They would have killed you. I hoped and prayed to Kaldumahn that one day you would return to me, and you have.”

  There was just so much Maelich could barely process. He whispered, “How is it you came to be queen of this place? If you lived in a hut, your parents could not have been royalty.”

  Leisha composed herself, “I fulfilled the prophecy. I had given birth to the one who would ride the last Dragon against Kallum. Upon his destruction, the lost souls will be released, and balance restored on Ouloos. They made me their queen. A few years later, I met a man, Daritus. He was quite dashing, strong and smart. He had a wonderful mind and was not the least bit intimidated by a powerful woman. I married him, and he became the king.”

  Maelich shook his head, “What? Did you just
say I’ve come to ride the last dragon against Kallum? I’ve come to slay that dragon. That is what the prophecy says. That is my task. Peace will only come after he is destroyed.”

  She sighed, “Kallum twisted the prophecy to suit his ambitions. The prophet’s name was Maaltuk. He was adventuring, and he napped upon a rock. He didn’t know this when he first lay his head down, but Kaldumahn had taken the form of this rock before Maaltuk had arrived. When he woke from his slumber, the rock spoke to him. Kaldumahn spoke to him. He told him this world would become an evil place in the absence of Dragons. He told him that a young girl who had never been touched by a man would bathe in the lake from whence the Dragons came and she would become impregnated by it. He said she would bear twins, and they would ride the last Dragon against Kallum. Upon his destruction, the lost souls would be free to go home, and balance would be restored on Ouloos. Maaltuk wrote all he had heard down. However, when Kallum spoke to Eringaal, he twisted the prophecy. Just as he had twisted the minds of men against Dragons in the great campaign.”

  Her words stung Maelich, “I can’t believe that. Kallum is truth. Kallum is light. How can you question the creator of all things?”

  Leisha let out a short laugh, “He didn’t create anything. Coeptus created all things, Dragons, men, dwarves, grongs, and giants, all things. The land we walk on and the air we breathe are the workings of Coeptus. The likes of Kallum and Kaldumahn exist to act as guides, paths to Coeptus.”