Dragons Shining

by Michael Sperry

  The old dragon reached down with her snout to look Briana in the eyes.

  “According to Prophecy, before puberty if you were to even touch him, you would join and seal, too weak. You could not so stay in this plane of light joined and weak. You would be ripped into Heaven, Hell and Chaos without law, not strong enough to prevent it. This could damage all realms of law, leaving a permanent portal. Now you both are strong enough to prevent that, and to control a temporary portal. You may touch as you like without joining now. The true joining will come only when you both will it, and it can be undone the same way.”

  Briana was appalled at the Dragon’s assumptions. “I wonder if ‘joining’ is what I think it is?” she thought. But right at this moment she was concentrating on her immediate agenda. She reached quickly up and met Zana snout to snout, while evoking an extremely powerful spell in her mind. It was the sorceress’s immortality spell, a very tricky one and so very,very difficult. Salece had no idea that Briana had found this and many other dangerous and difficult incantations in that protected journal, while looking for other books for her lessons. Salece had underestimated Briana drastically. Briana for her part had simply taken her role to heart. Learn as much as possible as fast as possible. Salece had even said so.

  Briana "spoke" the trigger.

  There was a brilliant flash, and the two dragons were thrown apart.

  “Aaarrrggghh”, screamed the big dragon as flames shot skyward in a spiral and as she twisted and fell on her back, squirming with her jaws wide. An expanding ball of lightning quickly enveloped her from her snout to her tail, traveling over every inch of her.

  Briana was thrown to the edge of the clearing, stunned. She sensed alarm in the distance. The Elves had heard Zana scream. It would not take them long to arrive here. She rolled to her feet as the ball of lightning dissipated. The field was scorched all around the big dragon.

  Zana struggled back to her feet and for a moment opened her jaws wide at Briana, showing wicked long fangs and flames flickering deep inside. But then in flash she realized what the little one had dared, and snapped her jaws shut. She took to the air on bright blue, undamaged wings. No longer would gray death stalk her. She twisted in flight and roared, sending a huge jet of flame arcing over the treetops.

  “I am in your debt forever, Briana. We must meet again soon, little one. Call me when you are ready, and I will take you to Owen, wherever he may be. We will find him together.”

  Briana quickly flew to her discarded clothes and popped back into her Elf form, replacing her glamour as she donned her shift. Her hair was a mess, she was dizzy and she wobbled.

  A dozen Elves in battle dress with long, barbed pikes and some with bows burst through the brush into the clearing just as Briana fell unconscious, out like a wetted flame.

  Onadath ran to her, giving his spear to another Elf, and picked her slight form up in his arms. “She lives”, he said.

  “There were two dragons here, Elder Onadath”, said his war chief, Isol. “Judging by the claw marks, a very large one and a small one. See, the smaller one came very close to Briana.” He was pointing at the claw marks leading up within a few yards of where she fell. “The large one rolled in fire, but it does not look like it was an attack flame. It did not spread. Do you think they were fighting over her?”

  “There is no blood here, Chief Isol. When she wakes, I will ask her”.

  With that, Onadath simply turned and headed back toward the village with Briana in his arms, at the same time closing his mind. “I know she changed”, he thought. “Those are her dragon form tracks that had confronted another much larger dragon.” He also had smelled arcane and extremely powerful magic of the very highest form all over Briana, so he had concealed the signs with a spell of his own. He had recognized the apparently successful signs of her extremely dangerous and foolish spell. It was one he had found most impossible except by the most superbly adept, and then only after decades or centuries of failed attempts and probable death. He had also smelled Zana, the dying old female vampire dragon who sometimes hunted Deer and Elk in the area. He began to believe that Zana had been given a permanent reprieve against all odds. Yes, they had much to discuss with young Briana, the newest high sorceress. “But it might be days before she wakes”, he thought. “No one so young has done this before, especially for another. No Magi ever has done it for another in fact, without killing both”. He just didn’t know how this might affect her in the end. “High Magic always has a price” he worried.

  Chapter Three – Princes Justin and Bruce

  “Well Albrite, I must admit you were right after all”, said King Kirklan.

  He and the wizard were standing on the balcony overlooking the Royal Practice Yard, where Princes Justin and Bruce were going at each other in full armor and shield with swords that had been de-edged by their own spells. Justin favored twin blades rather than a shield. His swords appeared to have a life of their own.

  “To think”, he continued. “My son is a Magi because Justin loves him so, and created a spell to enhance Bruce’s ability permanently. You did not think it could be done. It’s not the fact that Bruce loves him just as deeply, or that Justin swiped all your spells and created some on his own that surprise me. After all we have been harping on him to spend every moment drilling, or studying spells or learning just about everything. No, it’s the fact that he would risk so much for another, in spite of our warnings that his life means so much. And look at him now. He has the skill at fourteen to beat his brother into the ground, but does he do it? No, he is patiently teaching him all that he can. I asked him about it, so you know what he said?”

  “I can guess, my Lord. He probably said something like Bruce will be King some day and will need every skill.”

  “Close enough. I was such a fool to fear the child would grow to fight Bruce for the Crown.”

  “Ahem”, said the wizard, not wanting to address that fool comment. “Jason will become a Dragon Lord in a few short years, my Lord.” He said this quietly. “After that happens he will be only remotely human, preferring the company of dragons. The Lords and their Master will be our greatest allies, yet our biggest concern will be their final nature, and ours. They will become immersed in darkness and death, loss and sorrow, violence and destruction just as we will I fear. The girl Briana is the key, the dearest of them all. She will push them toward either light or darkness. And so, she will influence every Human, Elf, or Dwarf, even the dark ones themselves, through the Dragon Lords. I am so relieved that Justin takes to the path of light so strongly. That will make it easier for both Owen and Briana.”

  “And this I have always counseled you, my Lord. Do not fear Justin. Love him as your true son. It will be love that saves us in the end, not our skill in battle.”

  “Just so”, said Kirklan. “What of Owen? The Queen tells me they will accept no aid from us.”

  “You have given the boy what he needs already” my Lord; “Your most able Wizard, and the best swordsman and fighter in your kingdom. The farmers give him love. Baird sent a pigeon, not trusting a seeking because he fears an eavesdropper. Would you like to read the message?”

  “Yes, of course. But tell me. I thought the seeking contact was a private thing.”

  “We fear the one we were warned about has entered our plane from Hell in spite of Lucifer’s safeguards, my Lord. Vampires have attacked the dwarves in the deep tunnels. That tainted blood could only have come from him. He might be powerful enough to eavesdrop, so we are being as careful as we can. We do not yet know his limits.”

  “That is foul news. Let me see the message.”

  “Sire, it had a kill spell attached as a safety against theft. I am almost certain I removed it, yet would you rather me simply read it?

  Kirklan responded by reaching over and taking the note.

  The message read: “High Wizard, I hope you and your charges are well. The seeking has become too dangerous, so I send this trusty bird; I pray you remember how to defuse a
nd decode this. Otherwise, well..... Assuming it’s you I will go on. An elf slipped into town in the dead of night and left me this sealed note from our friends at the Horn. It was a long journey for him. We are doing well here. Our charge has surpassed all expectations in his studies and skills, and is brilliant as well. Since the Horn’s charge is past puberty, we will be making plans to re-unite them within a year. Also, ours must visit the Mount and Zn. I have so informed the Horn. I estimate the gathering in about two years at the most. They will be young; yet powerful enough for the early stages I am confident. Please give my regards upward.

  Here is their note: "Greetings Elder Wizard. We trust thee fares well, and your charge. We have an alarming development. Our charge has identified vampire ghoul signs on a deceased dwarf, one of four found in the deep tunnels. There is another development. She has cast spell code 33ASKb upon Xn, you know the old, decrepit one, and she was unconscious for three days after. She seems even stronger now, however. The girl and the boy need to meet, the sooner the better. Let me know. It has started, so we must hasten our plans. We may not have more than a few years now before the armies march.”

  “Albrite, what spell is that and who are Xn and Zn?” Kirklan had deciphered the rest on his own.

  “Xn is Zana, the female Vampire Dragon. She is the oldest dragon save for Znost, her mate. Briana may not even know yet that Zana and Znost have been waiting for their masters for ten thousand years. Even so, she cast the immortal spell upon Zana, I guess because she sensed the old dragon was dying.”

  “Her mount then, I trust, and I thought that spell was the most difficult in all of magic.”

  “Yes, Sire. And yes that was the most difficult spell ever cast in all Magi memory: so far. It has never before been successfully cast upon another than the caster. She should have been killed. Everyone else who tried that has died along with whoever they were trying it on. Owen must do something similar for Znost, who is also dying I fear. Perhaps in dragon form they are much stronger with magic. This is a first, so we are unsure of their capabilities.”

  “So then, she did this for a dragon, not knowing if she would live through it? Hah. We need not worry about her, Albrite, or Owen, if he carries through. It would mean they both value others more than themselves.”

  “You are right for now, Sire, but we will all be truly tested in the years to come. Oh, I have heard there are twelve dragon yearlings, my lord: Six male and six female. This is a perfect count for the coming Lords.”

  “So we are given the rope to either hang ourselves or climb the mountain. I am for climbing, Albrite, how about you?”

  “Certainly, Sire. We shall climb. Oh, here come the boys. The weapon masters are through with them for the day. I lost track of time.”

  Bruce and Jason came running up to them, panting. They were sweating and dirty from weapons training. Both had a few bruises and cuts. They fought hard always.

  “Hello Father, and Albrite”, they both said at the same time.

  Jason let Bruce continue. “Father, may we go camping this evening and then hunting tomorrow? Jason saw a fine stag when we were riding over by Waller Creek a few days ago.”

  “Who is we, Bruce?” asked the King.

  “Well me and Jason... and you of course, if you like.”

  “Ha. Well I have some visitors to entertain this evening. Baron Josef and Selsy are coming to visit. They will be staying through tomorrow morning, and they will have Jennifer with them, by the way.”

  “Jennifer”, said Bruce, with interest. “Uh, Jason why don’t you go after that stag? I think I will stay.”

  “I think he passes that way every three days by the tracks he leaves. Don’t you want to take him later then?”

  “You go ahead, Jason. Something else might get him, and I want him over the mantle in Father’s study.”

  “Is he that fine, Jason?” asked the King.

  “He is a drop tine on both sides, Father, and symmetrical. More tips than I could count. Twenty eight inch spread or thereabouts.”

  “Then by all means go after him today, but take Rolph and three of his scouts. They are good in the woods, and I do not want you going alone. I mean it, Justin”.

  “The Captain and three Royal Guards” thought Jason. ”I will be lucky to even see the stag. But Rolph is a good friend. He might cooperate”.

  “Ok, Father. I will bring them as you wish. Right now, I need a bath. You too, Bruce or Jennifer will turn her nose up at you!”

  “Bath or not, she would turn her nose up at you, Jason!”

  As they left, Kirklan could hear Jason say, “Well maybe I should stay and then we will see.”

  “Oh no you don’t. You go ahead and get that stag”, Bruce said quickly. Then they were gone.

  “Justin has no interest in Jennifer because Bruce has claimed her”, said Albrite, laughing. “Not that he doesn’t set his eyes on every other buxom girl that passes”.

  “I know. He needs to meet one of those females I saw in the glade, the sooner the better. None of the girls around here would come out well with Jason. He would break their hearts and be very sad for it. I don’t want that, and I doubt seriously if he wants to be entertained by a whore. Perhaps we should arrange for Denice to visit here every now and then. See if you can arrange it, won’t you Albrite. She is only about forty miles away at Count Herald’s place, right? Jason would like to meet her, I am certain. And the two up north, Paul’s son Charles and the girl Sandy, right. In fact, we should gather them all together. Start the ball rolling if you can. Perhaps we should meet them up there, closer to the Dragons, the Elves and the Dwarves. We need to send an expedition to mine for star metal anyway. We will need to outfit as many of our Knights as we can with better armor. That will be a good way to get them very close to the Dragons and we will see what happens then. The Dragons will take them, I bet. It should be possible to combine this expedition with a visit to the Northern Capitol to fetch the other aspiring Dragon Lords and Ladies. Set it for two years hence. They will all be sixteen then. From what the messages indicated, that may be all the time we have. Ask Kevin to write the necessary letters. Come see me when you have the letters ready, and I will set my seal on your protected and coded copies.”

  “Yes, my Lord. I will send for Denice, speak with Kevin and instruct your stewards to begin the reunion plans, but remember, Sire: The females are not like our ladies. They are fighters like the males, and just as powerful.”

  “We will leave that to Jason, I think. Good day, Albrite. I need to clean up, myself. I took a go at the weapon master this morning earlier. Oh. Perhaps you should hone your skills a bit as well, Wizard!”

  “Yes, Sire”, he called after the King. “He doesn’t understand how we torture ourselves with spells to ‘flex’ our abilities and make them stronger”, he thought. “Maybe I should bring him in to watch his sons throwing spell after spell at each other. There as well, Justin is very patient with Bruce. No, that might upset him. He does not understand magic.”

  An hour later, Jason, Rolph and three other Elite Royal Guardsmen, Jerold, Pomroy and Ender rode through the Palace Gate and over the draw bridge across the Palace Moat. Their steel shod horses’ hooves echoed between the gate watchtowers on both sides. Men with crossbows paced the three levels of the towers, and others manned the giant Wyrm Bows, but the large pitch barrels were not fired, and were not manned. They altered course to pass single file aside a supply wagon headed into the Palace.

  As they rode through the cobbled town streets, Jason could smell the fruits and vegetables in the markets. Women in pastel colored clothes and a few men in leather and denim walked to and fro in the markets: buying goods with Capitol Coins of gold, silver, and copper. The copper coins were of no real value, yet were guaranteed by the royal coffers to be tradable for a set market value compared to the hard gold value. As the value of gold rose and fell, so did the copper coin. The coins were produced by the Royal Mint, with intricate designs and were magically coded to emit a rain
bow of color when wet. Forgery was not likely and was punishable by death. A similar system was used in the Northern Kingdom, yet the colors and designs were different. The northern and southern kingdom coin had become mixed over generations, so you might see either in use at the same value.

  Further from the Palace, people were not dressed as brightly and there were more of them. Jason’ horse was getting a bit nervous after accidentally stepping on a man’s toe. The man had glared up at Jason, but quickly lowered his eyes after recognizing the Prince.

  “Rolph, we have plenty of time to get to our camp site. Why don’t we dismount and lead the horses instead of knocking people down.”

  “That would leave you more vulnerable, Jason. Look up at all those windows that could conceal an assassin”, said Rolph as Jason dismounted.

  Cursing under his breath, Rolph dismounted. “Jerold, You and Pomroy take the lead. Ender, you cover the rear”. He tied his horse to Jason’s pack, so that he could walk outside of him, between Jason and the crowd of people moving in the streets.