Trial of the Dragon (The Chronicles of Dragon, Series 2, Book 6 of 10) (Tail of the Dragon 7)

by Craig Halloran

  The rangy soldier Ben rose to full height and stretched his limbs. His eyes followed along the muddy wake in the road left by the terrifying army. “Great Guzan, I was certain we were going to be stepped on. That was close!” Ben pinched his nose and shook his head. “Oh my, I wonder how long this stench will linger. Have you ever smelled such a thing?”

  Sasha and Bayzog were getting to their feet.

  The pretty woman’s face was drained. “How did I do, Bayzog?” She tingled from her fingertips to her elbows. It had been the first real spell she’d summoned without Bayzog’s help in quite some time. She put her trembling hand to her head and started to get up.

  “Sit a moment, Sasha.” Bayzog brushed her wet hair from her eyes. “You did well. Exceptionally well considering the short time you had to prepare for it. I can’t believe an army like that slipped in on us. I should have sensed it.”

  Ben stepped into a boot print three times the size of his. “I wouldn’t feel bad, Bayzog. We live. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s probably mine. I think I’m going to need a bigger sword.”

  “Now is not the time for us to cast any kind of blame on one another.” Sasha took Bayzog’s arm and pulled herself up. Seeing the crease in his forehead, she said, “I’m feeling better.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” She wiped her hands off on her robes as best she could, but it didn’t make much of a difference. She couldn’t remember ever being so dirty. Bayzog either. The part-elf wizard’s usually spotless robes were sullied with mud and grass stains. Ben was the worst of the three. His beard was layered in dirt, with patches of grey where the rain had washed it. Still, she guessed he wore the grime the best of them all. “Shall we continue our journey then?”

  “As long as it takes us away from that smell.” Ben fanned his face. “If we wouldn’t have been upwind from them, we couldn’t have missed it. Listen, you two keep focusing on your sons. I can keep a better eye out. I swear it.”

  “We know, Ben.” Bayzog shuffled over the rough road. “West. I still feel it.”

  “I do too,” Sasha added.

  Together, the pair of them cast a location spell to detect their sons, using some personal items they had brought from each of them. One item was Rerry’s small whittling knife he had carried as a boy. The other item was a lock of Samaz’s thick hair. These were things Sasha always kept close to her heart. However, all attempts to contact them had been unsuccessful. The guilt within her continued to rise, seeing how her sons had set off on a foolish errand to help her. But now there was some hope. A shadow of movement of both boys brought a smile to her face. They were alive.

  “Let’s keep moving then. It will be dark soon.” Ben led the way in a steady stride, arms swinging loosely at his sides.

  The veteran soldier and adventurer had become their devout protector. None of them were young anymore. From time to time, Ben had to help them over the difficult spots in the terrain. Sasha and Bayzog had slipped and skinned their knees more than once. Horseback would have been much easier, but it would have drawn more attention to them, too.

  The armies of the titans snatched up every able horse they could find. They moved with great herds of stolen livestock. Nalzambor’s surface was no longer a place of wonder and exploration but a place of danger.

  The party cut through the high grasses and wildflowers of the prairie until the sun fell and the moon rose high in the air.

  Stopping where the flats hit the forest, Ben said, “We should be safe within the edge. Let’s get some rest and hope we don’t get another downpour in the middle of the night. I’ll fix something to eat if I can find it.”

  Sasha took a seat on the ground beside Bayzog and leaned into him with her shoulder. “You look as tired as I feel.”

  “I’m certain that I am.” His violet eyes still burned with the life of cooling embers. He clasped her hands. “We’re going to find them. We have to before the elves and dwarves do.”

  “And what happens after that?’

  “We’ll need to reunite with Nath. There are titans that need slaying and wurmers that need slaughtering.”

  “Mmm, I like it when you talk like that.” She turned his face toward her and kissed his lips. “Now that we have a moment, maybe we should take advantage of it.”

  “Sasha,” he stammered, but he didn’t pull away.

  “Oh, I just wanted to embrace the human in you, like you used to when we first met.”

  “I need to focus and control my passions.”

  “Sometimes you need to let them loose. The time will come when you can’t afford to hold back.” She kissed him again, and this time he embraced her soft lips with his own.

  Ah, that’s better.

  “Gaaaaah!” From somewhere in the forest, Ben cried out in the night, “Ruuuuuuun!”

  CHAPTER 8

  “We need to find a better way to keep track of her,” Nath said to Grahleyna. His beautiful mother was in full dragon form, elegant in her powder-white scales with touches of cinnamon. She was the most graceful dragon he ever saw. “Why did you let her go?”

  Inside the grand chamber that was nothing more than a cavern inundated with precious metals and stones that glimmered against the carved rock, she said, “She feels guilty, Nath. The young woman is determined to find the source of the wurmers on her own. And I can’t blame her. If anyone can discover the queen’s location, it would be her. After all, she did give life to those foul breeding insects.”

  “Someone should have let me know before she left.”

  “You two are made for each other,” Brenwar scoffed. “She’s just like you. Now you know how it feels.”

  Nath shot Brenwar a look. “Yes, yes, I get the idea. Mother, tell me, did she go alone?”

  “Sansla Libor aids her.”

  “And how did they manage to slip out of here?”

  “The same as last time. They used the Chamber of Murals.” Grahleyna made a clever smile. “It keeps us one step ahead of our enemies. You remember using it, don’t you?”

  “I do. Though it’s been a while.” He held his stomach. Passing through a mural always left him queasy.

  “So, my king, what course of action are you going to take?”

  “We need to get the murders of Laedorn and Uurluuk resolved. It’s becoming a huge distraction, allowing Eckubahn to gain stronger footholds. If we don’t sort it out soon, we’ll have the entire world against us.”

  “I wish I could go with you, but I assume you’ll need me here.”

  “I do, Mother, but I hate to make it a command. It seems strange for me to be ordering you around.”

  “Think nothing of it, but if it makes you feel any better, I volunteer.” Three times bigger than Nath, she put her winged arm over his shoulder. “Son, you are a special man. If anyone can do this, you can. But try not to be gone long. The dragons will need their leader when the time comes. You’re the Dragon King now. Remember that.”

  “I know.”

  “Slivver, I can’t tell you how much it thrills me to see you united with your brother. He needs you.”

  Slivver bowed quickly. “I’ll look after him with my life.”

  “Dragon speed then—and Brenwar?”

  The old dwarf faced her with his head down. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  “Keep them both out of trouble.”

  “You have my word to Morgdon on that.”

  ***

  Nath, Brenwar, and Slivver stood in the Chamber of Murals. Images from all over Nalzambor captivated them with a life of their own.

  Brenwar gawped at an image of Morgdon, the city of great stone and iron, built into a mountainside. He licked his lips. “I swear I can smell dwarven ale.”

  “Brenwar, nothing is holding you back from returning home,” Nath said. “Perhaps one more crack at your dwarven diplomacy.”

  “Nay, I’ve given your mother my word. I know the kind of trouble you two get into when you’re together.”

  Nath and Slivver g
rinned at each other, but it was only a brief moment, because Nath returned his attention to the murals. His golden eyes were fixed on the City of Narnum. That was where his father had fallen. The view shifted from place to place depending on where he stared. His eyes searched the towers and the streets. Overall, the view was still distant, but his eyes found their way to the coliseum. It had been the battleground of his father’s fall.

  Slivver stepped in front of him. “I know where your mind is headed. I don’t feel any different than you, but you can’t afford to let your emotions get all stirred up. Eckubahn and Isobahn want that.”

  Nath’s jaws clenched. He heard Slivver’s words, but they didn’t register. No, he had to see what had befallen his father’s body. “Step aside.”

  Slivver obeyed.

  Nath zoomed in on the mural until it was as if the three of them were on the street in Narnum. Their view followed the people, who made their way to the coliseum, where a crowd gathered. Dead center in the arena, Balzurth’s great body had been propped up for all to see. A framework of iron held Balzurth upright. Tremendous chains suspended his outstretched arms. Chains with hooks like the ones used to catch a fish were sunk into Balzurth’s wings. His mighty body filled the arena. His red scales still had their luster.

  That should be me, not you, Father.

  A collar of chains held Balzurth’s head upright. A giant was sawing the last great horn from Balzurth’s head.

  Nath’s fist clenched.

  “That’s abominable,” Brenwar muttered. “Cutting off a dragon’s horns is as bad as shearing a dwarf’s beard off.”

  “I know.”

  To make matters worse, the Spear of Barnabus still stuck out of Balzurth’s back. Nath couldn’t fathom why the weapon hadn’t been removed. Certainly Eckubahn would want it as part of his arsenal. Nath’s blood boiled. People were throwing trash and other foul things at Balzurth. The expired Dragon King was speckled in filthy grime. Many of the giants guarding the body stood by laughing.

  Nath stepped forward. “I’ve seen enough of this.”

  CHAPTER 9

  At the same time, Slivver and Brenwar shouldered their way in front of Nath. Slivver was the first to speak. “Once you go in, there won’t be any retreat. I’ll back you up, but do you have a plan?”

  “Sure he does. Kill all those giants and the rest of their rotten ilk,” Brenwar advised. “The sooner they’re all dead, the better. But I do admit, it’s a tad spontaneous even for me.”

  “Dwarves were never ones for surprises,” Slivver commented.

  “Sure we are, just slow-developing surprises. Eh, what’s it going to be, Nath?”

  It took every ounce of willpower he had not to jump into the mural and start ripping into the callous hordes of evil. Finally, Nath stepped back. The image of his father faded. “Now is not the time to be vengeful, but it’s coming, and the mural of chambers gives me a plan.” As horrifying as it was to gaze upon his father’s abused corpse, it still gave him an idea that he tucked away for later.

  “Let’s get this chore done with first.” Nath returned his focus to the other murals. “There has to be a better way to find one another. The murals make it easy to look where we’ve been before, but finding someone who wanders off in an unknown direction is impossible. It could take weeks, maybe months to find them, and that’s assuming they’re someplace where they can be seen.”

  “Aye, they might be captured underground.” Brenwar’s foot started tapping. “But we sure have a fine view of our enemy’s forces that are gathering.” He pointed his stubby finger at the ceiling. The painted portion was the land surrounding Dragon Home, where armies of titans gathered in the tens of thousands. That didn’t include the wurmers that grayed out the blue sky like swarms of bats. “There are so many.”

  “It’s no wonder Selene did what she did. The titans wouldn’t be nearly so powerful with the wurmers gone. It’s the only way to fight an army that keeps on growing. She’s going after the source.”

  “You want to help her, but you’re just going to have to have faith that she can handle it herself, Nath. She’s proven herself more than capable.” Slivver slapped Nath’s back with his tail. “Just focus on one thing at a time. We can’t be everywhere at once.”

  “Well, it would be a lot of help if we could find Gorlee. He was supposed to be helping my father anyway. He’s vanished.”

  “The spirits might have him, Nath,” Brenwar said. “Remember what Selene did to him? It may be he’s been taken over again.”

  “That’s what I was thinking. Still, with all this power,” he said, spreading his arms wide, “one would think we could find some answers to our plight. I wish Bayzog were here. I bet he could make the most of this.”

  “Yes, if only the murals could reveal what was hidden.” Slivver stood beside Nath with this arms crossed over his chest just like Nath’s. “Perhaps the mural teaches patience. I have a strong feeling that the more we watch, the more will be revealed.”

  “I used to watch the world for days on end from here, but I never before saw so much danger. Things were better then. It astounds me how quickly it ran afoul.”

  “The races can easily be deceived. That’s why the dragons are here to protect them,” Slivver stated. “One step at a time, Nath. What is your command?”

  Nath studied the murals, trying to make his best guess as to where his friends might be. He had never learned enough about Gorlee to know where his home was. As he understood it, the shape changers were very secretive. Gorlee had once mentioned that sometimes they had trouble telling one from another.

  He took his eyes away from the murals for a moment. His friends stood by his side, and they weren’t alone. Slivver had brought in a dozen other silver dragons loyal to Nath. They were similar to Slivver but a bit bigger, and they didn’t talk but behaved like dragons. They sat back, tails wrapped around their legs, heads high and proud. They all gave approving looks to Nath.

  Each of these new silver dragons was slightly different from the others. Their horns varied. Most of the differences were minute but noticeable. He walked up to each one of them and touched their chests in a respectful manner. Each snorted in good grace. They’d all sworn to be Nath’s personal guard.

  “Oh, if I could only fly among you,” Nath said. Seeing the murals, he was dying to take flight again. “I’m tempted to summon Waark, but I don’t think that bull of a dragon will fit inside here.” He snapped his fingers. “I know what we need. We need some seekers.”

  Slivver nodded. “There we go, a plan. Your patience is paying off. I’ll send for some. I just hope we can find any.” He gave a command to one of the silvers in Dragonese. It slunk out of the room.

  All of them studied the murals for several more hours, but nothing caught their eyes. Hours later, the silver dragon returned with three small dragons on his back. The small dragons, no bigger than raccoons, all had wings that buzzed like a hummingbird’s.

  Nath reached out. The dragons, colored like honey bees with bright green eyes, landed on his arms. They sniffed and licked him with their long snouts and tongues. He made his way over to a black spot on one of the walls that had a tapestry of colors like a painter’s swatch at the bottom. Using his finger, he drew and colored in an image of Bayzog, Sasha, Selene, Sansla, Rerry, and Samaz. He had them down to every last detail.

  The seekers’ eyes widened on the image. They absorbed every bit of it and spoke in a funny language back and forth. They floated up toward the murals and crossed over.

  Nath strapped Fang over his shoulders and said, “Follow them.”

  CHAPTER 10

  Nath and company passed through the murals into a soft spot of Nalzambor where the enemy’s activity was low. It pained his heart to leave his father’s body where it lay in ridicule, but something within held him back. Now they were far west of Morgdon, on the other side of the Valley of Bones.

  A drizzling rain came down, splattering his scales. The tiny drops had the chill of the ch
anging seasons. Nath tied his hair into a ponytail, trying to blot out the image of his father, but it was eating at him.

  “I see that look on your face,” Brenwar said. The dwarven warrior adjusted the buckle on his magic belt. “We’ll take care of your father’s burial when the time comes. Now we must do what must be done.”

  Nath nodded. With a flick of his fingers, he waved the little dragons called seekers over to him. The small, bee-colored dragons were the only ones faster than the fabled blue razors. They darted like hummingbirds through the air. “You know who to look for. Be safe. Be careful. Stay low. There’s too many wurmers out there.”

  The seekers zipped out of sight in a buzzing of wings, splitting off in three different directions.

  “If anyone can find our friends quickly, it’s them,” Slivver said.

  “Let’s just hope it’s quick enough. I’ve got a bad feeling in my scales. You’d think I’d be used to it by now, having the entire world chase me down.”

  “So why did you choose this to be our starting point? It’s quite isolated,” Slivver said.

  “We have to start somewhere. Besides, I just had a feeling. The major cities are hives of activity. The titan armies attempt to invade Dragon Home.” Nath kneeled down and tightened the laces on his boots. “I know Bayzog is wise enough to avoid all that. The others are too. And I wouldn’t dare get close to the elves or dwarves.”

  Brenwar slung Mortuun over his back. “We’ll find a trail. We always do.”

  “Nath,” said Slivver, “there’s no reason the silvers can’t scout ahead. You know that would be faster.”

  “Let’s just pound the ground for now. They can scout ahead, but stay out of the skies.” Nath searched the darkening clouds. “It will be more difficult to see the wurmers prowling the air. No, we’ll be patient. We can use our speed when the time comes.”

  Brenwar started marching forward. “Let’s go then.” He came to a stop. “Where are we going?”

  “Let’s try the smaller farmlands in the south. Perhaps they will have encountered something useful.” Nath followed after Brenwar, with Slivver and the squad of silver dragons in tow. Despite the darkening weather, he had a spring in his step.