Dragon Hero III: Drayken Reborn

by C Woodward

  "Oh, sorry to disturb you, my lady," he spoke softly.

  "It is quite alright, Firesword," she replied in kind tone.

  There was a moment of silence and then Clagmir's brain got back on track. "Er, we should be ready to move in about an hour."

  Ayjestus gave him a quick nod, "Very good, Do get the men ready."

  Clagmir nodded at her, then at me and left the carriage.

  "You should get yourself ready as well, Blake." she instructed.

  I gave her a smile, nodded and got up from my seat. I opened the door and stuck my head out. The sun was almost too bright for me.

  Ayjestus spoke, "Oh, tell Talestria that …" She looked away hesitantly.

  I peeked my head in and waited for her to continue. She looked at me and appeared almost awkward. She always had a graceful poise but for once she looked, well, I would say normal. I wasn’t sure if that was the right way to put it.

  "Tell her that I wished I could have undone the curse." Ayjestus said meekly. She folded her arms and rubbed them in an insecure manner. "I know she shouldn't have been plagued so long with her curse. I really do feel bad for her. She might not accept this but tell her I do care."

  I uttered softly, “Her curse?"

  Ayjestus responded, "Yes, the curse that you broke."

  "I broke her curse?" I asked.

  "Yes. Her blood line was afflicted with a curse that was broken when you defied it. You freed her." Ayjestus explained.

  I was taken aback by this. I wondered how Talestria would take this. Ayjestus looked at me in sincerity and I knew she meant what she said. I put my hand on her shoulder and smiled, "I will try to get her to understand." Then I left the carriage.

  The sky was clear and cheerful which contradicted the mood everyone was feeling. I wondered how tired those on foot were. There were many wagons and I could see half had people resting inside and I hoped they took turns marching. I looked at poor Alpo. He was still lying down. He stared at me with one eye, not inspired to get up. I glanced at the back of the wagon. Talestria was snoring away, with the sack of candy lying next to her. I carefully took out a piece and shook it in front of Alpo. His nose perked up and he slowly raised his head to nab it from my hand. Seconds later he became upright. Guess that worked.

  Talestria didn't wake up when the wagon started to move. I peeked at her and saw her mouth gaped open, broadcasting her snores. I didn't notice a small rock on the road which caused the whole wagon to bump. Her body jerked and for a moment I thought she would wake up, instead she just turned on her side and started to snore again. At least it wasn’t as loud as before.

  The trip was pretty uneventful. The long, boring ride almost made me forget the work I had to do. Talestria took over for me when she woke up. She also was tired of the long ride. I hadn’t told her what Ayjestus said. I wanted to wait to tell her when I wasn’t a stone's throw from her because I honestly didn't know how she’d handle it. I’d rather tell her when all this mess was over.

  After a few days, I grew tired of seeing random farms and low hills with trees. We started to see people moving around with haste, which was a good sign that people were reaching safety. I saw no sign of Falstrid nor the other mages, and I wondered if they would stick around to help fend off the undead. I was hoping this army of paladins and clerics would be enough. From what Ayjestus explained to me, there might be more danger than we knew.

  We arrived on the outskirts of Vunash in the evening. We saw quite a large gathering of survivors, their wagons, tents, and makeshift homes. Earlier in the day I decided to put on my armor just in case we had to face a battle. Now, it seemed almost quiet. There were a decent amount of guards watching the barricades with several mages helping in support. They were all tired and too worn to cheer our arrival but the looks of relief on their faces was welcome enough for us.

  Talestria peeked out from inside the wagon, "Do you think I should wear my pendant?"

  I shrugged, "I don't think the undead would care."

  She gave me a look, "What about the people here?" She placed the pendant in a pouch. "I will keep it handy in case anyone has a problem with my presence." She stared at a distant, makeshift house, "I really don't want people to fear me. They have gone through so much." She snapped out of her thoughts and pulled out a flat, wooden box, "I am sure you’ll need this."

  I opened the box and saw my cursed blade. It was a broad, curved blade resembling both an axe and a sword. The end had a curved hook which I rather hated. But it’s more difficult to adjust magical weapons than normal steel ones. I kept the blade locked as it carried a curse causing the user to become frenzied making it hard to tell friend from foe. I seemed to be the only one unaffected by the curse. One good thing about the blade was that it could cleave almost anything. Bolam did research about the blade. Long ago it was made by a famed, dwarven weaponsmith for his son. I have forgotten the rest of it. This wouldn’t be the best time to ask him about it.

  Talestria handed me my helmet, and gave me a quick peck on the forehead before I put it on. She popped a hard candy in her mouth and we began to walk. The paladins and clerics started to line up in formation. Ayjestus and the priests quickly moved to the injured. I spotted Bolam moving into a tent with some of his mages.

  "Blake," Clagmir's beckoned. He and a few weary guards were watching the barricade.

  I jogged over with Talestria right behind me. Most of the guards staring at us looked very uneasy.

  "Things are quiet in there," Clagmir looked toward the city. He turned to the head guard, "So, they haven't made an attack yet?"

  The head guard nodded, "No. It is likely they are waiting for something."

  "What about the northern border?" Clagmir asked.

  "We have people watching the north gate. Soon we will have reinforcements from Felmun," the guard answered.

  Clagmir scratched his nose, "You said the people in Unrech have evacuated as well?"

  The guard gave him a nod, "The elves have taken care of the southern border."

  "Well, that is good. I feared they would be advancing. But why stay in the city?" Clagmir pondered out loud.

  "That would be a valuable question to have answered," a familiar face replied. It was Falstrid.

  He struggled to walk with his cane. His nice, red robe was tattered and covered with dirt and ash. One arm was in a sling, and all but one finger was wrapped in bandages. Two older mages helped him and didn't look pleased that he was up and around.

  Clagmir’s eyes lit up, "Glad to see you haven't fallen over yet, old man!"

  Falstrid grumbled, "Are you getting any younger? It would take more than an army of bones to put me to rest!"

  Falstrid smiled at us, "Glad to see you two coming to help."

  I gave him a little smile, "We are happy to lend a hand"

  Clagmir walked closer to Falstrid, "So, what are we facing?"

  Falstrid frowned, "A force we have never seen before."

  "What do you mean?" Talestria asked.

  Falstrid turned to her and then back to Clagmir, "There is a strong, dark magic that is beyond my abilities."

  Ayjestus walked over with three elves wearing fancy leather armor and green cloaks. They gave Talestria cold stares but kept their mouths shut as they approached.

  "The scouts have spotted the source of the corruption." Ayjestus announced. She turned toward the three elves.

  One of the elves stepped in, "The source lies within the belly of the mage school. There are foul totems constructed all around it."

  Falstrid wiped his glasses, "They power all the area around them. Anything that dies becomes part of their army."

  Clagmir raised his fist, "Then we shall topple them!"

  Ayjestus nodded, "Yes, Firesword. But there is an army of undead protecting them."

  One of the elves proudly spoke, "We have already figured a plan. We will move our forces in to gain their attention and make a quick strike."

  Clagmir rubbed his beard, "A small force can
move quickly but we cannot tell how well guarded those structures will be."

  Falstrid interrupted, "Well, I guess we’ll go in ourselves."

  Ayjestus shook her head, "Dear Falstrid, you are in no condition to even be standing."

  Falstrid looked at her and let out a defeated sigh. He wasn't the type to be told what he couldn't do. But, considering Ayjestus told him, it kind of stunted his stubbornness.

  "Well, I am going!" Clagmir insisted.

  Talestria stepped in, "Blake and I are coming as well!"

  One of the elves protested, "Why is this Witch here?!" He glared at Talestria and me.

  Another elf grunted, "Amgati! That is enough!"

  Amgati held his breath and brushed back his light, brown hair in frustration.

  Talestria frowned, "What? You think I am here to cause trouble? That's what you elves think, right? I'm some kind of monster, is that it?!"

  Amgati shouted, "You are a monster! You and the rest of your exiled..."

  "Quiet!" Ayjestus shouted. It was the first time I’d heard her raise her voice. I'm guessing she didn't do that often.

  Everyone froze in shock. Even Clagmir's jaw dropped.

  "There is too much suffering going on now to open up ancient wounds of a foolish civil war,” Ayjestus spoke sternly. We saw pain in her eyes. Obviously this was getting to her. I knew she was able to feel pain in others. It seemed this situation had taken its toll on her. She cringed and stepped back. Clagmir and one of the elves quickly helped her.

  "Lady Ayjestus, you shouldn't." Clagmir spoke sincerely.

  Ayjestus sighed, "I know, but," She rubbed her head and turned away, "Trust Talestria in this. I trust her."

  Talestria was touched by that but was conflicted about how to react. She stood there and kept looking at me and then back at Ayjestus.

  The elves looked at each other and then one of them spoke, "Perhaps we were too hasty with our words."

  Falstrid interrupted, "The sooner we act, the better."

  Clagmir nodded, "Yes, we need to act now!"

  Amgati took out his spear, "I will go!"

  "Amgati. Are you sure?" one of the elves spoke.

  "One of us should go and it might as well be me. Someone needs to rally the forces to stage an assault," Amgati instructed. He gave Talestria and me a dirty look but calmed himself down a bit.

  Clagmir shrugged and looked at Talestria and me, "This should do. I will ready my forces and we will strike. You remain at the western gate until I return.”

  Falstrid muttered, "You keep safe, old friend."

  Clagmir smiled, "You should worry about yourself first, old man.” He patted Falstrid on his good shoulder and walked to his men.

  Falstrid chuckled a little and looked at us, "You be careful, as well." He turned then and slowly made his way back to his tent.

  Amgati looked at the two of us and quietly walked away toward the barricade. He stopped, folded his arms and stared off. Talestria sighed and looked at me. All we could do now was wait.

  I hated waiting. The air felt uneasy to me. Talestria sat by the barricade and watched the army moving to the south. The mages and several others remained to beef up our side. Amgati still kept himself isolated from us. He didn't turn our way even once. He stood like a statue. I hoped his deep anger with the dark elves wouldn’t cause any future trouble. Heaven knows we will have enough trouble. Something told me he was petty enough to let his personal problems get in the way. I hoped that Ayjestus' words affected him. Who knows?

  We turned as Clagmir returned on his horse. He slowly climbed off and gave his horse a friendly pat on the head. The horse turned and walked toward the camp. I wished Alpo was trained that well.

  "Alright. Both my forces and the elves will move in from the south once all is ready. You will hear the horns as our signal to move in," Clagmir instructed.

  Amgati nodded, "We will quietly attempt to sneak in through the alleys to minimize confrontations. The undead are not affected by the darkness of night but their necromancer masters will."

  Clagmir peered toward the barricades, "The crafter's district would be our ideal choice. It is far too narrow for two to walk abreast."

  The sound of a horn filled the air. We turned our heads in that direction. I could feel my stomach getting heavy. Looked like it was time to move in.

  We four climbed over the barricade. Clagmir and Amgati took the lead while I took the rear with Talestria in front of me. Clagmir was bettered armored and skilled with his shield. Amgati had his spear and he could easily support Clagmir from the front. I could protect Talestria from the back and, well, no one could top her magic. The city looked to be in pretty fair shape. I expected to see more ruins and fires. There was clutter left when people fled and we definitely smelled the stench of the undead.

  Though the moon was bright, it was too dark to see anything other than building silhouettes. So far, so good. We reached the outskirts of the crafter's district and spotted a few figures standing about. We took cover behind a low wall.

  "I counted six of them, at least two living," Amgati whispered.

  Clagmir whispered back, "It would be bad to be spotted this soon. If we can each pick a target, that leaves two to worry about. Best to take out the cultists first."

  Amgati nodded, "I can quickly dispatch one from range beforehand."

  Clagmir asked, "Talestria, do you know any spells that are low profile?"

  Talestria nodded, "I can cast something that can handle the ones close, if needed."

  "There is no need. There are five of us, if that elf does what he said he would do," a different voiced whispered confidently.

  The four of us turned around and found none other than Jerak.

  Chapter 3

  Jerak crouched down with us, a confused look on his face, "What? We have enough to take them out."

  I whispered, "Where the heck did you come from?"

  Jerak whispered innocently, "Rejun and I heard from Bolam that you were here. I thought you could use my help."

  Clagmir and Amgati were speechless. Talestria let out a quiet groan and gave me a look.

  Jerak continued, "Rejun stayed back with the mages. He thought I was stupid to follow you guys in. It was hard to find you in the dark."

  Amgati frowned, "Who is this simpleton?"

  Clagmir sighed, "One of Blake's friends"

  Jerak glared at Amgati, "Simpleton? Says the elf that didn't noticed me sneaking up."

  Amgati was taken aback at his remark and muttered, "Fine. We now have five to take them down. So let’s pick our targets."

  We moved quickly. Talestria and I went after two near the opening of one the buildings. She whispered a spell, created an ice spike to form in her hand, and impaled the head of one foe. I dashed in past her and cleaved in the face of a rotting being. Both of our targets wore strange, rusted armor. They had two horns, one large eye socket and no nose. We peered over to see if the others were successful. Clagmir gave everyone the signal and we moved to our next spot.

  "What were those things?" I whispered to Talestria. Clagmir and Amgati were jogging ahead of while we and Jerak moved to catch up.

  "I believe they were tehlkians, I’ve only seen drawings of them but never in person," Talestria answered.

  "Isn’t this a bit far for them?" Jerak asked quietly.

  Talestria gave him a nod, "It does seem rather strange. I’m guessing the gateway is linked to someplace far where there is a large supply of corpses."

  Clagmir whispered back, "One of the corpses held a Lyonus crest. It would make sense that they raided the dead from an old battleground."

  Amgati raised his hand which signaled us to quiet down. I peered and saw a massive bone-construct lumbering in the street. I never wanted to see one of those monsters again. It was mostly a giant human-shaped figure made of bones. It had four arms; two large and two small. It had a normal human skull which looked odd considering how massive the creature was. We saw a dark-robed figure walking next t
o it.

  We waited for the patrol to get out of view before we made a quick dash to our next place of cover. Clagmir was right; the alleyways here were really narrow. The bone construct couldn't even fit through. Heck, we barely fit going single file. We reached an opening and stopped to survey the area.

  "Wait, there are two. I will quickly dispatch them," Amgati whispered. He lifted his spear and quickly threw it dead center in the head of the first one. He sprinted with his curved sword and quickly slashed at the other. He sheathed his blade and removed his spear from the first target.