Keep of Dragons (The Azuleah Trilogy Book 3)

by Daniel Adorno

  Dudley limped across the ground while being supported by Darius at his side. A handful of the Uwadi bore cuts and scrapes from combat while others looked much worse. Lucius saw two men who had lost limbs and needed medical attention. Though he did not possess the skills of a medic, he carried a kit of medicinal supplies in one of the leather pouches on his belt. He pulled out several vials from the pouch—one of of which was bywydur. Any wounded warrior would immediately be invigorated by a drop of the elvish elixir.

  As he distributed the medicine to the injured men, Dudley dropped down onto a boulder nearby and stared at the massive pile of rubble in front of him.

  “Your handiwork?” Dudley said, pointing to the rocks.

  Lucius shook his head as he placed a drop of bywydur in an Uwadi soldier’s mouth. “That was my father’s doing,” he replied.

  Dudley cast his gaze to the ground, comprehension visible in his expression. “I’m sorry, Lucius.”

  “Is this all that remains of the Falcons and Sparrows?” Lucius said, wishing to change the subject.

  “I’m afraid so. We lost Liam and many of Sabu’s best warriors,” he said, frowning. “But we knew victory would come at a high price.”

  “So you killed all four dragons?” Siegfried asked, helping another injured man to the ground.

  Darius laughed bitterly. “That would’ve been something. We killed two of the beasts. As we hoped, the sentries didn’t see the Falcons coming. Before they had a chance to strike my team inside the pit, Dudley blew the tops of the mountains with fire strikers. The avalanche of rock crushed one of the sentries and injured the other,” he said.

  “Yes, then thanks to Darius’ insane battle tactics, the Sparrows led a charge against he injured dragon before the Falcons could assist,” Dudley said, shaking his head.

  “You were busy with the third sentry and that gilded dragon that showed up out of nowhere. Besides, we couldn’t let you have all the fun,” Darius said.

  “I remember the golden dragon. He was guarding the entrance to the dens. Did you kill it?” Lucius asked.

  “No. The devil fled before we could press our advantage. It got into a fight with the other sentry—a purple dragon, one of the Amethyst tribe. We let them tear each other apart while we regrouped for our next attack. But then the golden one knew what we were planning and fled the roost,” Dudley explained.

  “And the purple one?” Siegfried asked.

  “He had no fight left in him,” Sabu interrupted suddenly. The Uwadi warrior sat down next to Dudley and Darius, exchanging looks with everyone. “It suffered injuries from its companion’s assault. If I had to guess, the golden one was punishing a subordinate for allowing such an invasion to take place. But there was still something more. I could see resignation in that purple dragon’s eyes. When his superior left, the dragon took one look at what remained of our forces then flew off toward the northern coast. He knew fighting would come to nothing.”

  Lucius’ brow knotted in the middle as he considered Sabu’s words. Could the purple dragon have known Ghadarya’s glory days were over? Why else would a dragon retreat when it still had a clear advantage? There was no way to know for sure. But it revealed something curious about the dragons themselves. They valued the preservation of their kind and might not be willing to fall in step with Kraegyn’s plans.

  “Despite how many men we lost in this fight, it could’ve been far worse,” Dudley said.

  “Yes,” Lucius said, sighing. “We gave Silas a better chance to defend Aldron. I suppose that means our mission was a success. Although it certainly doesn’t feel that way.”

  Dudley reached over and patted his shoulder. “Believe me. If it weren’t for your tenacity about coming here, Aldron would surely be lost. There are many who will be singing the victory song of the Ellyllei before long,” he said with a smile.

  “Indeed. Though I wonder if my father and all the others would still be alive if I hadn’t.” He glanced at the rubble that served as Simeon’s resting place, feeling the grief once more.

  “Al-Abya knew the risk of coming here,” Sabu said, turning to Lucius. “Your father wished to rid the world of dragons and Draknoir though he did not command the armies of Aldron to do so. To fight alongside you—his lost son—gave him much joy. And if he were alive to see what we accomplished here, he would be very proud.”

  Lucius nodded. Sabu was the closest confidante to his father and if he believed Simeon had no regrets about what occurred here, neither should Lucius. But the gnawing guilt of being unable to save his father or take his place ate away at his conscience. Could he have done more? If Helmer were here, he’d probably say such questions were never worth exploring. They only led to further regret and bitterness about the past.

  “We should gather the horses and plan our next course of action,” Darius said. Everyone agreed that once the wounded were tended to, the party would set out toward the gravel path.

  It was near midday when they finally arrived at the camp where the three Uwadi soldiers stood guard over the horses. The beleaguered party recounted the events of the battle with the dragons and the three Uwadi were both elated and saddened by the tale. For their part, the Uwadi also had troubling news to share. While the Falcons, Ospreys, and Sparrows were fighting in the mountains, the noise caused by the fire striker explosions and dragon screams spooked many of the horses. The three men were unable to calm the animals and more than a dozen ran off, pulling away from the lead rope that kept them secure in the camp. Thankfully, Penna was not one of those who fled. Lucius walked up to his mare and stroked her muzzle gently. Her body rumbled in excitement to see her master and she gave a soft whinny.

  “It was a close call for both of us, Penna. I’m glad you kept your head about you, girl. I couldn’t bear to lose you too,” Lucius said.

  Penna shook her head several times as if to say, “I’d never leave you. Who would feed me then?”

  Lucius smiled then placed a leather bucket of oats and barley in front of her. She gratefully ate the meal while he sat down with the others. Many of the soldiers took the time to rest, eat, and exchange stories of the battle in the mountains. Questions about the dragon mothers and hatchlings came quickly at both Lucius and Siegfried. He was too tired to answer most of them and allowed Bashir to share his harrowing experience inside the dragon dens. The veteran warrior was all too eager to recount the series of events that led to the collapse of the cavern. But Lucius didn't care to hear the story and slipped away from the small group. He felt a shadow behind him and smiled when he turned to see Siegfried.

  “Going for a leisurely stroll in the mountains?” Siegfried asked sarcastically.

  “I couldn’t bear to hear anymore about the battle. It just brings back images I’d rather forget right now,” Lucius said.

  Siegfried nodded. “Perfectly understandable, Lucius. Perhaps we can put your mind at ease by discussing where things sit now.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Dudley wanted to regroup and figure out what are plans should be now that we’ve toppled Ghadarya’s offense in Aldron. Come, he’s sitting with Darius over there.” Siegfried gestured toward the rock shelf where the men had slept the previous night. Dudley lay on his bedroll while Darius looked to be sharpening his sword. The two looked up at the approaching brothers curiously. Dudley groaned as he sat up from the ground then sighed heavily.

  “I think an extended holiday is in order after this whole mess is over,” Dudley said ruefully.

  “Captain, you wanted to discuss what our next objective is?” Siegfried reminded him.

  “Right. So I had a brief conversation with Sabu earlier and he’s planning to go back to their camp in Kroshen. They’ve lost a score of men and their families need to be notified. Not to mention they must recruit more Uwadi from the surrounding area to have ample defense should the Draknoir decide to attack again. Which means we’re on our own again, gentlemen... and elf,” Dudley said.

  “But now there’s only
four of us left. I don’t think we’ll make it back in time to help with the defense of the city and we’re low on provisions. Perhaps we should go west into Marsolas and find a village to stay in,” Darius suggested.

  Dudley nodded. “That’s probably the best choice we have right now. Unless we join Sabu and his men back to Kroshen. They’d probably give us supplies for the return journey to Aldron. Though I don’t really wish to spend more time in that miserable heat, especially with summer on the way,” he admitted.

  As the two senior officers further discussed their options, Lucius noticed a flurry of movement on one of the cliffs encircling the area. It was a black bird, fluttering its wings as it hopped from rock to rock along the cliff. Lucius thought it was a crow at first, but thought he saw a patch of white along the bird’s wings.

  “Lucius, what do you think?” Dudley asked.

  Lucius turned back to them, embarrassed that he hadn’t been listening to the conversation. “What do I think about what?” He asked sheepishly.

  “Heading to the Uwadi camp before we make our way back to Aldron?” Darius repeated. “Or are you more inclined to find a village along Jun-Jun Pass to the west?”

  “Either sounds fine to me, but I won’t be going with you,” Lucius said to everyone’s surprise.

  “What are you talking about? You intend to desert your post with the Drachengarde?” Dudley asked, standing up from the ground. He winced as the pain of his injuries nearly forced him to sit back down.

  “No. My charge as Ellyllei is to stop Kraegyn. Eliminating the threat of Ghadarya’s forces was only part of that plan. Now I intend to go to Arkadeus and face the Black Dragon in combat,” Lucius said resolutely. He’d considered this course of action since his father died. The dragon lord was likely awaiting the arrival of the hatchlings at the fortress any day now. Of course, he wouldn’t know they were dead for a few more days. If Lucius pushed toward Arkadeus tonight, he might be able to make it in three days’ time. There was one problem with his plan though; the gilded dragon that had escaped the attack at the pit. It was quite possible the beast was already heading to Arkadeus to inform his master of what transpired in Ghadarya. Such news might incite Kraegyn to either attack Aldron or hunt down Lucius in the wilderness. He prayed for the latter. Either way, traveling with the others wasn’t a viable option for him at this point. Though he longed to return to Aldron and see Avani again, he knew deep down that Kraegyn needed to be dealt with—sooner rather than later.

  “Lucius, that is too great a task to take on your own. I’m in full support of slaying that horrible beast, but we will be wholly outnumbered in Arkadeus. You might not get within a stone’s throw of the keep,” Dudley argued.

  “All the more reason for you and Darius to head back to Aldron and join Silas’ planned offensive,” Lucius replied. He then turned to Siegfried. “I know you’ll be at my side wherever I go, so there’s no use telling you to join them.”

  Siegfried smiled. “You know me so well, Lucius.”

  “By the time the army marches on Arkadeus, you’ll both be dead!” Darius exclaimed.

  The Talij warrior wasn’t usually so excitable, Lucius thought. Perhaps he’d been spending too much time with Dudley and picking up his more animated traits.

  “Darius is right. This is a fool’s errand and as the commanding officer of our company I order you to come with us,” Dudley ordered.

  “Captain, this goes beyond your military authority. Yesu himself has placed the burden of slaying Kraegyn on my shoulders. Would you really go against his will?”

  Dudley frowned and gritted his teeth. “I am not going against his will, Lucius! You are talking about getting yourself killed in enemy territory with no aid within miles. It’s absolute madness!”

  “No, it isn’t.” An unfamiliar voice chimed in from above.

  “Who said that?” Dudley asked. His eyes scanned the cliff face above them, but they could see no one.

  Lucius heard the flutter of wings nearby and the blackbird he saw earlier landed at their feet. But this wasn’t any regular black bird—it was a magpie. A very familiar magpie.

  “I said it!” The magpie said in a shrill voice. The bird suddenly shook its body and grew several feet. Dudley and Darius instinctively reached for their swords, but both Lucius and Siegfried moved to stop them. In a few seconds, the magpie changed into an old man who held a white staff in his right hand.

  The druid Alistair dusted off his gray cloak with his four-fingered hands and looked amused at the surprised expressions of Dudley, Darius, and the Uwadi warriors sitting nearby.

  “I’m sorry to have interrupted your discussion, but I had to clarify an assumption you were making about young Lucius’ decision to run off to Arkadeus,” Alistair said to Dudley.

  Dudley’s jaw was agape as he stared at the old druid. “What... who... who are you?”

  “My friends call me Alistair and dwarves call me Big Al—a moniker I’m not overly fond of, but I digress,” he said. “Lucius here, will most certainly not be alone in his fight against Kraegyn and that conjurer, Memnon.”

  “Really?” Lucius asked.

  “Oh yes. Balfour has decided to join our fight. I told you I’d convince him one way or another. And now it seems I’ve even convinced the faeries to commit themselves to the fight. I should really turn toward a profession in diplomacy,” he said.

  “Klik has agreed to fight?” Siegfried asked. The elf’s eyes grew wide at this revelation.

  Alistair nodded. “He was a stubborn faerie that one. But once his sister was on my side, the ice melted if you catch my meaning.”

  “Lya has a way of doing that,” Siegfried said, the corners of his mouth upturned slightly.

  “So what does all this mean, Alistair?” Lucius asked impatiently. The druid had clearly sought them out for a reason and though he normally wouldn’t mind Alistair’s carefree manner, he wanted a direct explanation of his presence here.

  “It means, my young friend, that you have allies who will join you in this fight. Even now King Silas is nearing Arkadeus to launch his attack against Memnon,” the druid said.

  “The Aldronian army is already on the move?” Dudley asked. “I suppose we’ve been gone the better part of a month. Silas certainly wouldn’t have waited longer than that to mobilize.”

  “Perhaps Sangre’s forces finally arrived,” Darius mused.

  “Either way, I plan to take you to join them. It will be like the days of old. Men, dwarves, faeries—” Alistair stopped then turned to Siegfried. “And elves! All fighting to vanquish evil under the same banner. It will be quite the tale.”

  Dudley frowned slightly. “And how do you suppose we’ll arrive to Arkadeus in time to help them? We’re several days behind them. We don’t all have the power to change into birds,” he said incredulously.

  Alistair grinned broadly. “My dear Captain Dudley. I am a druid of the Celestine Order. We have our ways. Wouldn’t you agree, Lucius?” The druid winked at him.

  Lucius smirked. “I would indeed.”

  Chapter 21

  The sound of trumpets startled Becca as she put on the chainmail left on the bed. She walked to the window and saw hundreds of soldiers assembling by company in the courtyard to the east of the gardens. A knot formed in her stomach as she watched the multitudes march toward their destination. She’d never been part of a large-scale battle before and wasn’t quite sure where her place would be in all of this. Small skirmishes and stealthy assaults were her specialty in the past, but an all-out war? That was altogether new territory. She sighed, returning to the bed where she grabbed the last piece of her wardrobe—a leather doublet with the Dermont crest emblazoned on the front—and put it on. Next to the bed was a small bureau with an oval mirror. She stepped in front of it and checked her appearance. There was a cruel irony in the fact she wore the Aldronian uniform after years of despising the soldiers she believed murdered her mother. Of course, that was a false memory conjured by Memnon into her mind,
but it was still difficult to brush it aside.

  Looking at her face, she noticed that her skin was much brighter than she remembered. It had been months since she’d scrubbed her face and washed herself so thoroughly, and naturally, the soot and grime that accompanied her appearance was no longer visible. Now she could see a fair-skinned woman with high cheekbones, a pointed nose, and dark eyes. Her hair, no longer matted and wild, flowed evenly past her shoulders and accentuated her slim facial features. Becca had never considered herself a beautiful woman, but she liked the changes she saw in the mirror. Pursing her lips, she considered what she might do about her hair. She often wore a hooded cloak that kept her mane stowed away so it wouldn’t get caught on something while in combat. The Aldronian uniform didn’t have a hood and she no longer possessed her old cloak. She searched the drawers of the bureau and found a stash of bobby pins in one of them. Pulling her hair back into a knot, she secured it with several pins. A stubborn lock of hair floated down her right temple which she tucked behind her ear, but it seldom stayed there for long.

  There was a soft knock on her door and she instinctively dropped her hand to her belt where she’d keep her dagger. Unfortunately, the guards took the weapon away when they arrested her. The realization she wasn’t in any immediate danger settled her unease.

  “Who is it?” She asked.

  “My name is Violet. I’m Silas’ wife. I came to say hello before you leave,” the woman outside said.

  Ravenmane crossed the room and opened the door. Outside, she saw a woman with curly red hair who stood about half a foot shorter than her. Her pale blue eyes looked up at Becca and she smiled at the taller woman.