by Joe Jackson
“Thank you,” Yiilu said, turning to Audrei.
The luranar woman beheld the staircase before her. “We should be thanking you. My word, I think even my children could make this climb.”
“We can bring them along next time,” Starlenia said. “I’ll bet Fireblade just loves having children over for company.”
“Oh hush,” Audrei berated her with a playful shove.
“Hey, if you two want to make love one last time before we go get burned alive, we can watch… I mean, wait for you.”
Max buried his face in his palm, and Audrei’s ears stood up straight, her eyes wide. “Oh, you are shameless!”
“Just figured that out, have you?” Starlenia chuckled. “Don’t think nobody knew what you two were about after you kept the entire inn awake with your singing that other night.”
Audrei’s jaw fell open slightly. “We kept the entire inn awake…?”
Starlenia laughed again but blew out a sigh before she took the first step up the stairs.
“With your singing,” Leighandra assured her friends. “And I don’t think you’d find one person to complain about it.”
Audrei bowed her head, but Max simply shook his before he went up after Starlenia.
Despite the fact that it was a staircase, it was still a long, tiresome climb. Leighandra wondered if it was truly any easier than typical mountain climbing. Either way, it was something she figured she’d be fine with never doing again in her life. She was breathless and sweaty by the time they got halfway up the face, and the fact that the temperature got steadily cooler the higher they ascended didn’t help. By the time they reached the cave mouth, they were all out of breath, and most of them sat down.
Delkantar went to study the bones near the entrance to the lair. While there weren’t any humanoid skeletons, the bones at the entrance seemed to serve as a warning to any who made it this close: Go away… or else. The ranger straightened out in front of the entryway, and though he put his tunic over his nose to dampen the sulfurous smell, he chuckled.
“It’s a lot warmer right here,” he commented. “If you try not to think about why, it’s fairly pleasant compared to the wind out there.”
“Come; we’ve dallied long enough, and she no doubt knows we’re here after Yiilu’s display. No sense in keeping her waiting,” Galadon said.
Max got to his feet and gestured for Delkantar to let him lead the way. Leighandra noted that the ranger’s observation about the dragon blasting a lair into the very mountain was correct. The walls were far from natural and had the consistency of once-liquid rock. The air within was significantly warmer, though the few stories Leighandra knew regarding dragons said that their breath was always hot, even when they weren’t actively breathing out fire. Hopefully, the interior of the lair would be pleasantly warm without too much of the sulfur stench.
There was a grumble deep within the mountain, and everyone stopped in their tracks. A loud hiss echoed down the corridor, but once certain there was no wall of flame headed their way, Max continued forward. A strange sound echoed from the stone walls, one Leighandra had a hard time placing, but that didn’t deter Max either. The companions resigned themselves to the fate Karinda had set before them and fell into step behind the paladin.
“Who… goes?” boomed the voice of the dragon. “Know you not where you stand, foolish creatures?”
“We are the keepers of the flame, mighty dragon,” Max called back, surprised at how his voice rebounded along the walls. “We have come to speak with you; nothing more.”
That deep grumble rattled the stones again. “Know that you stand in a corridor without escape. If your declaration of truce rings false, there will not be enough left of you to lap up with my tongue.”
There was a sharp intake of breath, and Leighandra felt her stomach drop into her pelvis. Everyone froze in place, no hope of running back to the entrance if a gout of fire was coming. There was no immediate surge of flame, but it sounded as though the dragon was blowing out a fiery breath, and the cave proper, far ahead, lit up. Leighandra could see the form of the great, blood-red reptile lying in the center of the cave, her long neck extended beyond sight above the entryway.
Max continued his approach, every step growing warmer and a little more uncomfortable. Leighandra was sure that had to be the dragon’s intention. The cave ahead glowed with the heat of her breath upon the stones. As Leighandra thought about it, however, she realized the dragon might simply have been providing a light source to her “guests.” It made the warmth borderline unbearable, but at least they weren’t walking into darkness now.
Fireblade ducked her head and stared coldly down the corridor at the companions’ approach. The chronicler didn’t even notice how much they had all slowed at her gaze until she saw that Max was far ahead of them. The paladin entered the cave proper and kept a respectful distance, but something was wrong.
The dragon reared up suddenly with a reptilian gasp. “You would bring the Flameslayer into the heart of my home? I will destroy you!”
Max held his hands up. “Wait!” he cried, his hair whipping forward as the dragon took in a massive lungful of air.
Fireblade’s head was angled back in preparation to loose her fiery breath, and Leighandra could see the dragon’s scales smolder with the heat beneath them. It was as though Fireblade was cooking herself from the inside, but if holding that fiery breath caused her any discomfort, it didn’t show. On the contrary, it seemed to bolster her confidence to know that she could disintegrate them on a whim, her golden, slit-pupiled eyes wide with fury.
Max drew his sword slowly and deliberately, his other hand still held out in a placating gesture. He took the sword in both hands in an offering pose, walked forward a few steps, and placed it on the ground before the dragon. He then retreated far enough back that he would have no hope of getting to it if she attacked.
The dragon leaned her head back and charred the ceiling again, making the room glow brighter and increasing the temperature. There was no denying it: That was truly awesome power, and Leighandra had no doubts that only death could result from that breath being turned on a person. Finished with her display, Fireblade laid one of her massive, clawed forelegs on top of the blade and dragged it slowly to her.
“You would give this to me to be destroyed?”
Max bowed slightly. “If it so pleases you, mighty dragon, I would ask that you spare the blade. It was my father’s before me, and his father’s before him, and will prove important in the work to come. But I will give you my word of honor that it will not be turned on you unless you strike the first blow.”
The dragon showed her many sword-like teeth. The chronicler was still astounded at the size of the beast, and the teeth, horns, and claws were the greatest measure of her impressiveness. “If I strike the first blow, mortal, you will not survive to strike one in return.”
“So you say.”
Fireblade turned her head and brought it in close to regard Max with a single slit-pupiled eye. “Is that a challenge, little man? Little…,” she began, making an exaggerated sniff of him as though she was preparing her fiery breath. “Wolf-man?”
Leighandra’s heart was beating wildly. What was Max doing? Hadn’t Karinda told them not to say anything “regrettable” to the fire wyrm? And yet he seemed to be taunting her! The chronicler started to move forward but hesitated when the dragon turned her head to regard the movement with both eyes.
“I am Prince Auremax Talvorus of the Talvorus tribe of luranar. I have come before you to ask your aid, mighty dragon, not to fight you. We need your help, and so you have us at a disadvantage. I have given you both my sword and my word; I am uncertain how else I may demonstrate that I mean you no harm, and do not challenge your power.”
Fireblade let forth a sharp breath that blew the paladin’s hair out behind him again. To his credit, Max didn’t react but to narrow his eyes in the wind. “Do you know that you are the first and only mortal to stand before me and introduce
himself properly?” she asked, and she moved into a vaguely sphinx-like pose, angling her head back to view the entire party. It was only then that Leighandra recognized the sound she’d heard in the corridor: a massive body shifting on a tremendous pile of coins and other glittering objects. “I am Hastucilliara, the Scourge of the Plains, the Final Shadow, Lady of the Deep Flame.”
“I am honored to know your true name, and not simply the moniker of Fireblade our peoples have long attributed to you,” Max returned with another short bow. “If no others have ever introduced themselves, I imagine it is because they were too terrified.”
“And you are not?”
“I respect your power, mighty dragon, but I do not fear death itself. I fear only the consequences that would befall those I leave behind.”
Fireblade narrowed her eyes and leaned in a little closer, sniffing at him again. Audrei stepped forward, and the dragon’s gaze swept back and forth between the woman and her husband. “Greetings, Hastucilliara. I am Audrei Talvorus, Auremax’s wife.”
“Come forth, mortals, and let me have a look at you.”
Leighandra filed in with the others to stand beside Max and his wife, and the dragon took stock of each of them. Only Vo’rii was absent, the wolf having remained safely behind with Galrinthor, as Yiilu requested. Each of the companions introduced themselves in turn when the dragon’s gaze fell upon them, and her stare lingered on Galadon after his introduction.
“You… should be dead. What does this mean? Wait…,” the dragon said, making an exaggerated count of them. “There are seven of you. Who sent you?”
Leighandra and her friends all looked around at each other. “An angel,” the chronicler said at last, and though everyone glanced at her one last time, no one corrected her.
“Then you have come for it… not for my treasures, but for his. Unfortunately for you, mortals, I will not simply surrender it. First, you must prove yourselves to me by way of combat.” She showed her front teeth and belched a short flame high above them; was that a dragon’s laugh? “Oh, worry you not; I would not test you myself, for that would be no test – or challenge – at all. No, you will take care of a lingering issue for me, and if you return to tell the tale, then I will give you what you are looking for.”
“That’d be amazing, since we’re not even sure what we’re looking for,” Starlenia said.
Those golden eyes narrowed and she snapped her gaze onto the rogue. “Then perhaps I will trick you and give you a useless trinket in exchange for the test you are to take. Foolish woman! Do not mistake me for a friend with whom you can jest and play games.”
Yiilu finally found her voice. “How may we be of service, Hastucilliara?”
“To the northwest lies another cave, much smaller than my own, but within it lives an enemy arguably much more dangerous. I call it the stonegazer, for those unfortunate enough to wander into or too close to its lair fall prey to the creature and its gaze. Even I, the mighty Lady of the Deep Flame, have nearly fallen victim to this being. And so, I will leave it to you to deal with it however you see fit. Kill it, drive it off, add it to your number – I care little so long as it is gone and troubles my territory no longer. Should you succeed, I will give you the treasure you seek. Fail, and I expect I need not explain the consequences.”
“Stonegazer?” Delkantar echoed. He glanced at Leighandra. “You’re not talking about a medusa of some kind, are you? Leighandra, do we have medusae here on Terrassia?”
“I wasn’t aware they were ever more than legends,” the chronicler answered. “I could go do some research, but that would take time we don’t have.”
The dragon grumbled, ending the conversation. “And which I will not grant you. Go now, and do as I have asked, or do not return!”
“May I have my sword back?” Max asked.
The dragon looked at her foreleg and slid the weapon back toward him. “Do not bring this weapon into my presence again.”
Max bowed his head and then crouched to pick up the sword. Leighandra saw as he did so that crouching down, he was about the same size as the dragon’s massive claw. The paladin put the blade back in its scabbard and stood straight again.
“Why did you call this the Flameslayer?” he asked.
“Surely you have noticed by now that the sword burns with a cold flame? It destroys those of my kind or those who dwell among fire. I have forgiven you for bringing it before me once, but I will not afford you this mercy a second time.”
“I understand. Thank you, Hastucilliara. We will see to the task you have set before us.”
The luranar paladin let his friends make their egress before he backed out of the cave and bowed low. Once they reached the cave mouth, Leighandra let forth a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. They had survived! They had done something no other mortals were reputed to have done in centuries: stand before an ancient red dragon and bargain with it. This would be a tale for the ages…
“What exactly is a medusa?” Audrei asked.
“She was a cursed being out of ancient human legends,” Leighandra started as they began the descent. “A beautiful woman who had snakes for hair, and the lower body of a serpent. And her gaze was said to turn anyone who met it to stone. It’s a popular old tale and legend, but I’ve never heard of any actually existing. It’s possible there’s some wizard or hag out there in the mountains that plays upon the dragon’s fears. Either way, we need to be prepared to deal with something powerful enough to give Hastucilliara pause.”
“Can we just call her Fireblade? That name is a mouthful,” Starlenia huffed.
“Del, Starlenia – we’re going to have to count on you to scout out this cave when we find it and give us some indication of what we’ll be dealing with,” Galadon said. “While we’re on our way, perhaps you can tell us what the legends say of the medusa, Leighandra? Won’t hurt to be prepared in case the legends turn out to be true.”
“Certainly,” the chronicler said. “Long, long ago…”
Chapter XII – The Stuff of Legends
As it turned out, it didn’t take long for Delkantar to find what they were looking for. They had taken a night to rest before they set out to see to the dragon’s task. Leighandra had told them all she knew of medusae, though all of it was from myth and legend, song and epic. Its gaze was reputed to be fatal, though only if viewed directly. Based on the stories, Leighandra was fairly certain that seeing its reflection would pose no danger. Then again, they were all stories… how much of it was truth? There was some truth to every legend, but just how much?
Apparently enough, if we’re on our way to drive out a medusa at the behest of an ancient red dragon, she thought.
Of course, that assumed it actually was a medusa. It seemed more likely to Leighandra that it would turn out to be an old wizard or witch who lived near the dragon’s cave to avoid the interruptions of man and beast. Playing on the dragon’s fears and pretending to be something that could turn her to stone would keep her – the one being the hermit feared – in line, and what did that leave? Only the passage of time to contend with.
Leighandra reconsidered when Delkantar spotted a cave high on a hillside, one with a curious assortment of statuary around its entryway…
She and her companions stood staring, the others no doubt wondering the same things as Leighandra. What did this all mean? Was this part of the “path” Karinda expected them to find when she sent them forth? Did the angel know or suspect that this was what they would be sent to contend with? And – most importantly – did being sent to “deal with” this being by a volatile red dragon mean a more measured approach was called for?
Max exchanged a look with Galadon, and then with Audrei. Yiilu called Vo’rii to her side and nervously stroked the wolf’s head. Even Starlenia picked at her leather belt as though she wanted to hold her kukris simply to have something in her hands.
“What are we doing?” Delkantar asked. “What does that dragon have that we could need badly enough to risk c
onfronting whatever’s up there?”
“Whatever it is, Karinda thought we needed it,” Max answered. “I know some of you still harbor doubts, but I find this entire situation to be beyond doubt now. There is something behind all of this that we have yet to positively identify, but we must consider things this way: either it is trying to stop the rise of the Tempis’ra, or it is duping us into bringing that to pass.”
“Is it possible Fireblade has one of the four flames?” Yiilu asked. “I cannot think what else she may possess that would aid us in stopping the Tempis’ra. If she has one of the flames, it will allow us to rally the nations against our enemy. Karinda would know that, but then how would she know what Fireblade possesses?”
“I’ll go take a look,” Starlenia said. “Worse comes to worst, we slice up some nuisance that doesn’t look like it’s any nicer to people than dragons, based on those statues.”
“I’ll go with you,” Delkantar agreed.
“Starlenia does raise a good point,” Galadon muttered, a hand to his chin. “This is something we should see to regardless of our dealing with Fireblade. For all we know, it could be another ally, one the dragon is trying to trick us into dispatching. Perhaps those statues are simply props of some kind, or perhaps they are people who sought to murder the cave’s resident to steal their treasures. There’s any number of possibilities present.”
“Be very careful, you two,” Audrei bid them before the ranger and rogue circled to the cave’s blind side and began their ascent. “Yiilu, can you help me search for berries and flowers to make salves and poultices from?”