D& D - Mystara 02 Dragonking of Mystara

by Thorarinn Gunnarsson

  token of his title and his duty.

  Kharendaen opened the doors and stepped out into the yard, pausing to allow Thelvyn to climb into her saddle. The night was deep and cool, with a fresh, gentle breeze stirring through the trees, and the stars were shining in the dark sky above the clearing. Once Thelvyn had settled into the saddle, the dragon leaped across the forest stream and followed the path through the darkness of the Foxwoods, coming soon to the edge of the great ravine that served as the Great One's sacred place. She paused for a moment, where they could both look out across the clearing below and hear the waterfall splashing down the steps of ravine wall just below them. Then Kharendaen gathered her strength and leaped out into the night air, her broad wings snapping out to bear her aloft.

  She rose quickly above the forest into the night sky. As Thelvyn looked about, he recalled the dream in which he had spoken with his mother, and he knew that they had passed abrupdy into another world. The forests and mountains about them were not the same he had seen from the high passes of the Wendarian Range. The land seemed to be illuminated by a wash of silver moonlight, but there was no moon to be seen in the star-filled sky. The wind against his face felt strangely cool.

  Kharendaen banked northward, toward the dark line of the most forbidding mountains that Thelvyn had ever seen. Now he knew beyond all doubt that he was no longer in the same land, for there had been no mountains north of the Foxwoods. Kharendaen flew with little effort, hardly even beating her wings and never having to search for a favorable gust of wind to carry her, and yet many long miles of forest flashed by with each passing minute.

  "Do you know where we are?" Thelvyn asked.

  "I have never been in this place before," she answered, glancing back at him briefly. "I believe that we are no longer in the mortal world but in the place the Great One has set aside as his own. I also suspect we are here only in a dream, and in truth we are asleep in the clearing of the Great One's sacred place back in Shadowmere."

  Whatever the case, they crossed a hundred miles or more

  of wilderness in a matter of minutes. The shadowed forms of the great mountains rose swiftly before them, and Kharendaen allowed the momentum of her unnatural speed to carry them into the heights. They rose swiftly up the rugged slopes and suddenly encountered a massive castle, as large as a city, seeming not to have been built but rather carved from the very cliffs of the mountain itself. Soft golden lights shone in a few of the windows of the towers and halls, and there were no sentries or warriors standing watch. The castle appeared very dark and forbidding, although it also seemed deserted.

  Kharendaen began to slow herself in the final moments of her approach, turning to circle for a time as she sought an entry into the castle. Thelvyn did not question how she had known to come so swiftly and unerringly to this great castle, but for the first time he began to feel helpless and afraid. He wanted to tell her he couldn't enter this place, but he seemed to lack the will to speak. Kharendaen found the main gate of the fortress after only a few moments of searching, a massive portal with doors of heavy timbers bound by steel. The only approach to it was a small ledge. No road, path, or steps led up to the place; it was obviously an entry reserved for dragons alone.

  Kharendaen landed on the ledge, then turned to approach the gate. The two immense doors parted, drawing back before her. She entered without hesitation, walking slowly down a long, dark passage of featureless gray stone, drawn ahead by the promise of a warm light until she came to a large chamber that resembled a dining hall. Thelvyn looked around the room but saw no furnishings. Vast beams of dark wood supported the ceiling high above, and the walls were hung with tapestries bearing heroic scenes of dragons. The room was completely windowless, and a lone doorway stood directly across from where they had entered. Beyond it was nothing but darkness.

  Thelvyn glanced up at Kharendaen, finding himself standing at her side, although he didn't recall climbing down from her saddle. As they waited, silent and motionless, Thelvyn once more felt afraid. He became aware that someone was approaching from the darkness of the passage on the far side of the hall, someone he could neither see nor hear. He wanted to run, certain somehow that this was a meeting he must somehow avoid, but he felt there was nowhere for him to go.

  Slowly, from out of the darkness, a dragon emerged, a gold dragon that was the largest he had ever seen, larger even than Marthaen. He was the very image of power and grace, his chest deep and well-muscled, his horns elegantly curved, and his crest was long and full. His face was exceptionally noble, with a long, narrow muzzle, and the brows above his large, piercing eyes were broad and deep, so that he wore an expression that was calm, confident, and supremely wise. He stopped just inside the doorway and sat back on his strong haunches, lifting his proud chest with his neck drawn back in a graceful curve.

  Kharendaen gasped softly as if she recognized him, taking a step forward as if drawn against her will. Thelvyn looked up at her, wondering what this strange dragon had done to her, but then he saw that her expression was one of supreme delight. And yet he knew beyond any doubt that this was not the Great One. Kharendaen glanced down at him, almost a gesture of farewell, before she looked up at the strange dragon and began to move toward him, step by step, before rushing suddenly to his side. Then, to Thelvyn's dismay, she stroked the side of her face against his breast, the same intimate gesture he thought she reserved for him, and for a moment the two dragons rubbed their cheeks and necks together affectionately.

  "I've waited for you so long," she told the strange dragon. "I feel as if I've been in exile these last five years."

  "I know you do," the dragon told her gently as he held her against him, although he fifted his head to stare at Thelvyn, his gaze neither compassionate nor proud but carefully neutral.

  "J love you so," Kharendaen said, her eyes closing in delight.

  Thelvyn could only stand there, staring in disbelief as his heart sank into his feet. Until that moment, he had never realized how much Kharendaen really meant to him. He knew it would be futile to fight for her affection. Her love was given freely; he couldn't hope to win it with the weapons of the Dragonlord. He was a dragon, and yet he was not, as long as he remained unable to assume his true form. He had never felt such burning shame and frustration in all his life, made all the more bitter because all he could do was accept it.

  "Leave us now," the dragon said to Kharendaen, lifting his claw to gently stroke her neck. "I will return to you soon, and then we will be together always."

  Kharendaen rubbed her cheek against his, then stepped back and turned to depart. Thelvyn couldn't watch her leave, his own gaze held by the large, penetrating eyes of the gold dragon.

  "Who are you?" Thelvyn breathed at last.

  "I am the Dragonking," the gold dragon replied.

  "But what is your name?"

  "I know you better than you know yourself, yet cruel necessity has made it impossible for you to know me," the Dragonking said. "You have served me well, and I regret that this one brief moment of both our meeting and our parting should be a bitter one for you."

  "Then I will not be allowed to serve you further?" Thelvyn asked.

  "You cannot serve me," the Dragonking told him, rising and walking slowly toward him. "The time has come for me to fight my own battles, to use my own cunning and my own powers rather than the enchantments of the wizards of a forgotten empire. It is tempting to have you about, to comfort me with old habits and defend me with your powers, but the time is at hand for the Dragonlord to return to his long sleep."

  "Who are you?" Thelvyn demanded once more. "You must have a name as well as a title."

  The Dragonking loomed over him, staring down at him. "I am the gold dragon Thelvaenir. I am what you were meant to be."

  Suddenly Thelvyn's vision of that world of dreams vanished in a glare of light. Sensations he could not describe engulfed him in those few brief moments while he was blinded by that white brilliance, sensations of being drawn into some place
he could not see and brought forth again. He felt like a piece of paper that was folded into a new form, yet without pain. Then the overwhelming flood of light faded into cool, soothing darkness.

  Thelvyn found himself lying in the cool grass of the sanctuary of Shadowmere. He blinked and lifted his head, finding the effort strange and awkward, as if his body was unable to serve him as he expected. The night was deep and still, although the clearing was filled with a gentle golden light. Kharendaen moved quickly to his side, helping him to rise. He almost drew back from her touch, the memory of her betrayal still sharp and bitter. But when he sat back on his haunches and saw himself, he suddenly understood. The enchantment was broken, and he had assumed his true form, the same form as the noble gold dragon he had met in the dark fortress of the dream. Sir George stood before him, now as small in his eyes as a tiny child, looking anxious and quite at a loss for words for once in his life.

  Then Thelvyn paused and lifted his head, suddenly aware that he and Kharendaen were not alone. The encircling ledges of the ravine were crowded with dragons of every breed, hundreds of dragons, all glaring at him intently and malevolently. More dragons pressed forward behind them as they peered over the edge of the ravine far above. Still more were perched among the boulders at the far end of the clearing, where the ravine narrowed abruptly. Only perhaps three dozen of the huge creatures had dared to enter the clearing itself, almost all of them golds, who were gathered about him in respectful silence.

  "The clerics have returned to Shadowmere," Kharendaen told him very softly. "But there are not enough of us to fight, and I fear that the rogue dragons will force us to do so. They are very frightened."

  "I don't understand," Thelvyn said hoarsely. Even his voice seemed loath to obey him. "What do they want?"

  "They want to be reassured," she explained.

  The dragons all rose, muttering in their fury and their fear. The clerics in the clearing responded by gathering about him in a tight circle, facing outward toward the growing tide of anger. For the time being, Thelvyn was uncomfortably aware that he was unable to defend himself. He could no longer transport himself into the armor of the Dragonlord, since he did not yet know how to assume his old shape. He certainly couldn't fight as a dragon. For the moment, he doubted he could even walk. The great bulk and power of a dragon was unfamiliar to him.

  The dragons paused in their angry muttering and lifted their heads to look up. A gold dragon was descending swiftly down into the ravine, slowing himself with powerful sweeps of his wings to land a short distance away. He rose to his hind legs and reached over his back to draw forth an immense sword he carried in his harness.

  "I am Marthaen, First Speaker of the Parliament of Dragons," he declared in a booming voice. "I warn you that you must not invade the sanctity of this place or defy the will of the Great One a second time, or by my word you will have to answer to me!"

  Suddenly Thelvyn became aware that Marthaen had not come alone. Daresha and Gheradaen and other gold dragon kings had come as well, bringing their bands to support them. Several dragons gathered on the ledges above leaped down into the ravine to join the loyal dragons in the clearing, but far more still remained on the ledges, too angry to relent. The rogue dragons above still greatly outnumbered the defenders below. In spite of all of Thelvyn efforts to prevent the dragons from going to war, their most desperate battle seemed likely to be among themselves.

  "What can I tell them to get them to change their minds?" Thelvyn asked his companions.

  "I do not know if there is anything you can say," Kharendaen replied. "It has always been the bane of dragons for our wisdom to fail us when anger or fear takes over."

  Thelvyn tried to rise, determined that he had to prevent the dragons from fighting. He stood unsteadily, still very shaky and uncertain. The renegade dragons fell silent and stared, as if they were unable to fear an enemy who could hardly even stand before them. Thelvyn was concerned that they would realize his vulnerability and take advantage of the moment. One of the larger red dragons glided down into the clearing and landed a short distance away before advancing slowly. The gold dragons gave way before him, permitting his passage. Only Marthaen refused to stand aside, holding the massive sword out before him. Thelvyn felt certain the red dragon was Jherdar; the others would fight, or not, depending on what he did.

  "I know you," Jherdar said, looking at Thelvyn. "I recall that you showed me mercy a long time ago. My friend Marthaen would remind me of that, even if I had forgotten. But we do not know if you have come to serve us or to conquer us."

  "Why should you believe that I have any wish to conquer you?" Thelvyn asked in his confusion.

  "Because that is implied in the prophecy," the red dragon answered. "It is said that the Dragonlord will come in time to rule the dragons, and that he will influence our destiny for all time to come."

  "I think you do not understand the prophecy," Thelvyn replied. "The time of the Dragonlord has come to an end. By the will of the Great One, I am now to become the Dragonking."

  The dragons all rose, muttering in their fury and their fear as they stood at the stone ledges, staring down. Many flexed their extended wings as if they were preparing to leap down from the ledges and join in battle. The Dragonking was their last great hope, and the last thing they wanted to hear was that their legendary protector and their greatest enemy were the same. The dragons no longer trusted the prophecy, feeling it had failed them, and Thelvyn was afraid they would turn on him rather than risk being betrayed. Thelvyn saw that even his own companions had been startled by his statement, and he wondered if he should have kept the news secret for a time. His defenders closed even more tightly about him, placing themselves between him and the fury of the rogue dragons.

  "Then you believe that your destiny is to rule us?" Jherdar demanded.

  "It is not my intention to rule anyone," Thelvyn insisted. "My only wish is to serve."

  "Why should we believe that? What proof do we have that this is the will of the Great One and not just your own desire for conquest?"

  "Can you still doubt the will of the Great One in this matter?" Marthaen demanded.

  "We must have some assurance," Jherdar responded. "If this is the will of the Great One, then why doesn't he tell us himself as he has done in past times."

  "If that alone will satisfy you, so be it."

  Thelvyn nearly jumped at the sound of the deep, commanding voice behind him. The dragons fell as silent as death, and he saw that his companions were staring in awe. Marthaen lowered his sword as the dragons about him all drew back, holding their long necks low to the ground in a gesture of the deepest respect. He turned awkwardly, although he had to brace his legs wide to keep himself from falling. A dragon stood just behind him, or rather the shimmering image of a dragon of tremendous size and strength. The dragon's three heads glared at the assembly. After a tense moment, the hostile dragons lowered their heads in almost childlike shame at the knowledge that the Great One himself had witnessed their lack of trust.

  "You will not defy me!" the Great One proclaimed. "Nor will you defy my champion. I can forgive your doubts when I could not be there to serve you, but the time for fear and uncertainty is past. Now, leave this sacred place in the peace and solitude in which you found it."

  The image faded, leaving the dragons in the darkness. Then, in clusters of twos and threes, they began to depart, spreading their wings as they leaped out from the ledges. For several long moments, the sky over the clearing was so full of dragons that Thelvyn wondered how they managed to avoid each other. They quickly climbed above the trees and turned to the east, flying back along the Wendarian Range toward home.

  "That was too close for comfort," Sir George breathed. "It pays to have influential friends."

  "It was a bad time to suddenly turn into a dragon," Thelvyn remarked as he seated himself on the grass. "I can't imagine learning to fly at my age. I can barely walk."

  "You are a very handsome dragon," Kharendaen said,
settling close at his side and rubbing her cheek against his own.

  "He's rather fox-faced, if you ask me," Marthaen commented, returning his sword to its sheath on his back.

  "I just wish I could have some warning before things like this happened," Thelvyn said. "I'm tired of adventures and changes, at least for a while."

  "You have earned a time of rest and happiness," the voice of the Great One said, speaking from out of the night.

  Thelvyn lifted his head. "But if I am now the Dragonking, won't my new duties keep me occupied?"

  "There is little you can do right now," the Great One answered. "Before you can be the Dragonking, you must first learn how to be a dragon. And you must find the Collar of the Dragons, which is now yours. You may have until next spring as your own, but after that the dragons will need you."

  "But why me?" Thelvyn asked desperately.

  "Do you regret your service?"

  "Indeed not," he insisted. "All that I have been through and all that I may have yet to face will be worth the price if the dragons are better off for it. But why have I been chosen? Why am I so important to the destiny of the dragons when I hardly know what it means to be a dragon?"

  But the Great One did not reply, choosing to keep such matters secret for now.

  Thelvyn lowered his head, for the moment uncertain even of his ability to walk back to the sanctuary. Marthaen followed the rogue dragons, to talk to them about the events they had witnessed and to be certain that they would obey the will of the Great One. Kharendaen and the other dragon clerics helped Thelvyn back to Shadowmere. He tried to return to his more familiar form, but it seemed that even that was something he would have to learn.