by Bill Mays
“Be careful!” The young girl called out as they departed.
“And you as well,” Dalia nodded back.
“Watch out for each other,” Flade grinned. “We will be waiting for you in Timbre!”
Arianna could not look back on the young couple or the soldiers. She only whispered another prayer for their wellbeing and tried to forget her dream.
* * * * * * * * * *
Eventually, the campsite settled down and everyone managed to fall back asleep, everyone except those on watch duty. Ganze kept his eyes glued to the night sky. He also kept Coal close by his side in case he needed to flee rather suddenly. Every crackle from the fire and snore from a soldier caused him to jump. He had been thinking about the priestess’ last warning at The Council’s Reverie, and he was beginning to wonder if he made the right decision by staying behind. She had been right before, about the Drackmoorian attack. Who was to say she was not right again. The woman warned against the shadows, saying they would come alive to devour them. The small gangly man now watched the tree line with fear. Shadows were everywhere. Ganze nearly came out of his skin when he heard the cry. This time it was one of the soldiers who came shouting an alarm as he ran back to the campsite from relieving himself. Everyone was again awake and quick to ready his weapons. Whether the men admitted it or not, the priestess’ warning spooked them. Despite her unusual appearance, Arianna was still a priestess with the favor of a goddess.
“What is it, another raiding party?” The captain demanded an answer from the frightened man.
“No, it was something in the air, something huge captain. I saw it through the trees, circling nearby. It must have a thirty-foot wing span!”
Just as he finished his words, the creature flew over the camp, silhouetted against the night sky. It disappeared quickly over the tree line again. Screams rang out as fear gripped the soldiers.
“Calm down!” The captain shouted. “Keep your weapons at the ready! We’ll bring it down if it gets any closer!”
“What is that thing?” Petre whispered.
Jillian only shook her head. “I’ve never seen anything like it around these parts before,” she whispered back as she readied an arrow.
“It sure as hell wasn’t a harpy,” Ganze trembled as he spoke. His dagger was gripped tightly in one hand and his bird was tucked under the other arm.
There came many moments of pure silence. No one dared make a sound. The creature glided over the camp again. This time it was barely over the treetops. It had definitely spotted them. The estimation had been a little off. None of them could believe the reality. Their mouths hung open as it passed by. Its wingspan was fifty feet plus. The creature had a long, sleek neck and tail. The tail was tipped in jagged spikes. Its four legs were drawn up close to its body. Jillian was so in awe of it that she forgot to fire her bow. It again disappeared over the treetops. This time the horses went into a panic. The animals struggled to free themselves of the trees they had been tethered to.
“Calm the horses!” The captain ordered. The man was desperate to regain control of the situation.
“Well, do you believe me now?” Ganze hissed sarcastically.
The Kandairian cast him a glare and then spoke to the camp. “Get your things together, men; we’re moving to tree cover. I’m sure whatever it is; it smells the horses. Out in the open we are sitting targets.” The captain was suddenly wishing he had heeded the priestess’ advice.
As they gathered their belongings to begin the move, Jillian waited with her bow ready. There was no sign of the beast. Petre stood at her side with his own bow in hand. Neither had many belongings to pack and finished quickly. Two men went to gather the horses and calm the animals. It was no use. They were actually getting worse. The captain moved to help secure the wild horses. The animals were rearing up and thrashing out at any who got near them. He looked up into the darkness behind one of his soldiers and saw two huge red eyes looking back at him. He cried out a warning to the man; but it was too little, too late. The creature was pitch black and blended with the shadows so completely that he never even saw it strike. He could only watch as the soldier disappeared with a scream into the blackness. The horses went crazy and broke free in a desperate attempt to escape.
“The beast is on the ground!” The captain shouted as he drew his blade and barely dodged being trampled.
Everyone gathered and moved for the corner where the horses fled for their lives. Ganze was the only person holding back. The captain seemed to be swatting at something unseen. Suddenly, he was snatched into the shadows right before their eyes. He was gone with a scream and the sound of crunching bones.
“Fire your bows!” Ganze screamed in terror as he backed away. “What are you waiting for? Fire your bows!”
The soldiers all had their swords drawn but the youngsters were still holding their bows. Jillian was scared. She and Petre both had arrows ready to fly, but neither was sure what to do.
“I can’t see anything!” The girl cried out.
“Me either!” Petre seconded.
“Who cares, just shoot!” The rodent-faced man ordered.
They both let their arrows loose into the darkness where the captain disappeared. There was no sign of whether they hit anything or not. The soldiers took up a defensive formation. Their swords and shields were up before them. Everyone was scanning the tree line searching for any movement in the shadows.
“Captain?” One of the men called out nervously. His only answer was a deep rumbling from the darkness.
Suddenly, the very forest seemed their enemy. The darkness about them grew deeper. Everywhere they looked was only shifting shadows. It was like the branches themselves were twisting and turning just to throw off their focus and hide the beast. The light of the moon grew dim and the stars faded.
“Ready your attack, men,” another soldier called out. “We move in as one and flush it out into the open!”
“Are you crazy?” Ganze shouted frantically. “Didn’t you see the size of that thing? Why would we want to flush it out?”
Immediately, a long, spiked tail lashed out of the darkness. It was like a huge ball and chain that smashed one man dead, and bowled several others over. The remaining soldiers scrambled to avoid the attack as the tail lashed out again. Jillian and Petre fired at the visible portion of the monster. The boy missed, but the girl’s arrow sank in deeply. A husky growl rolled forth from the darkness as the tail whipped back into the shadows.
“Pull back into the center of the clearing,” one man shouted.
“Use the light! Get near the fire, where we can see it!” Another man called out.
“Stay together and watch each other’s backs!” Someone else cried.
Ganze was searching for somewhere to hide or a place to run. There was no such place. The darkness was all around them in the trees. Nothing looked safe. Jillian and Petre stood back to back. They were scared out of their minds. There came another rumbling growl that seemed to echo all about them.
“It’s moving,” Petre hissed as he exchanged the bow for sword and shield. “I think you hurt it,” he whispered nervously to Jillian.
The girl stayed silent. She was not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Without warning, the creature sprang forth into the clearing. It was a giant reptile with scales as black as pitch. Its wings were spread wide and its spiked tail flailed wildly behind it. The thing had claws as big as daggers and teeth like knives. Its red eyes burned with intelligence and hatred. Everyone cried out and pulled away as the monster moved upon them. Fear made their blood run cold. The slowest man to react was smashed beneath its powerful forepaw. It easily stood twenty feet tall on all fours with its long sleek neck.
“Is that what I think it is?” Petre hissed in shock. Jillian could only nod; she was terrified. The long neck of the beast coiled back then snapped out towards a group of five soldiers trying to maneuver around the creature. Its mouth opened wide and a cloud of pure darkness billowed forth. The black
vapors clung to the men like oil. They screamed and fell to the ground in agony. They writhed around, calling out for help that would not come as the inky cloud sucked the life from them. When it finished they were nothing but pale corpses.
“It’s a dragon!” One of the remaining men cried out. The soldiers’ numbers had been nearly cut in half in mere seconds.
“Run for your lives!” Ganze shrieked as he ran for the trees, away from the monster.
Jillian did not know what to do, so she let another arrow fly. The missile found its mark and sank deep into the dragon’s front leg. It was little more than an annoyance, but it did get the thing’s attention. In response, its tail shot forward smacking the girl and Petre, too, when he tried to protect her. It knocked them to the ground. They slid a good fifteen feet away just from the force of the impact. Ganze watched them tumble by him as he ran.
“Kill it quickly, before it breathes again!” One man shouted.
The remaining soldiers moved in on the dragon from all sides. It was a bloodbath. Few of the men landed any blows that would pierce the creature’s thick black scales. The huge creature took a man in each of its massive forepaws as it rose to its hind legs. It crushed them both to death. Its head and tail whipped about like black lightning, dealing death out to all they struck while the huge wings sent men tumbling away. The soldiers were dying left and right. They were little more than mosquitoes to the beast. It began a rumbling laughter. The soldiers were nothing but play-toys to the dragon. Petre helped Jillian back to her feet. The boy used his shield and his own body to absorb most of the blow, but they were both banged up. Ganze was already entering the tree line nearby.
“Quickly, come this way!” He hissed at them, hoping not to draw the beast’s attention.
He was safe. For the moment, there were plenty of Kandairian soldiers for it to crush.
Petre looked back to the slaughter. “They need help,” he coughed while working the kink out of his shield arm. The boy then charged back to the fight with his sword drawn.
Jillian chased after him and tackled him to the ground. “Have you gone mad? You‘re like a boy charging after the kill on his fist hunt,” she screamed. “That’s not some wild boar or an angry bear, it’s a dragon!” The girl’s hazel eyes locked with the youth’s own brown ones.
“They don’t stand a chance!” Ganze called again from the forest. “Run you idiots!”
“He’s right,” Jillian whispered sadly. “There’s nothing we can do to change that.” It was killing her to admit it. The loss of the soldiers was not just a horrible act in itself, but it meant no support for her desperate people, either.
Petre looked back to the brave soldiers being ripped to pieces. “Damn! Damn! Damn!” He cursed as he slammed his fist into the ground repeatedly.
He crawled back to his feet and took the girl by the hand. They both fled for the trees. They caught up to the rodent-faced man. He did not wait on them. They were just faster than he was. Soon there came the sound of trees splitting and branches cracking behind them.
“Oh no!” Jillian gasped. “It’s coming for us!” Even in the darkness, the men could feel her fear.
Ganze went weak in the knees for a second. He had to think quickly. “Split up!” He shouted. “It can’t go three ways at once!”
Petre and Jillian cast an angry look his way. The two ran on together. Ganze cursed under his breath. He was hoping for a two out of three chance, but it looked like he would have to settle for a one out of two shot at survival. He ran in a different direction, praying the whole way that it went after the youngsters. He knew that was a horrible thought, but he had to keep in mind that his duty was to himself first and foremost. He could always donate a nice headstone or two in their memory.
* * * * * * * * * *
Petre tripped and fell on his face. The boy was distracted. He was still struggling with the fact that they left the soldiers to die. Jillian was there lifting him back up to run on. The sounds of pursuit faded, but they were not taking any chances. The creature could fly. The sight of an actual dragon would haunt them for the rest of their lives.
“Arianna was right,” Petre gasped, out of breath. “I still can’t believe what I saw.”
“She even mentioned dragons,” Jillian added. The girl shook her head sadly. “I should have never doubted them. What do I know about the world anyway? I just wanted to save my people so badly. I’m such an idiot!”
“I understand exactly how you feel. Why do you think I joined the Drackmoorian army in the first place? They threatened my family, my whole town” Petre’s eyes were watery, but he fought back the emotion. “I should have resisted …”
“You never said that, why? That could have saved your life when you were first captured you idiot!” The girl panted angrily. “You let me hate you!”
“Why would any of you have believed me, besides I sort of felt like I had it coming for being so weak. Things worked out for the best, except now I just did it again. I left those men to die. Why am I so useless?” The boy was angry with himself.
Jillian punched Petre in the arm, hard. It brought him out of his miserable contemplations. He could barely see her face in the filtered moonlight. She just smiled at him through her tears when he looked up. She had come to respect and admire the gutsy youth, even if he was a bit stupid and reckless.
“Hey, you helped me. That thing’s tail would have smashed me without you there. That’s got to count for something.”
* * * * * * * * * *
Ganze ran for all he was worth. He hated being in the dark forest. Only the gods knew what was lurking behind every tree. His ankles and feet hurt from stumbling over roots and fallen branches. His side ached from running so hard and he was out of breath. Coal struggled like a crazy thing, so frightened was the bird. Ganze held onto him tightly. Suddenly, there was no ground beneath him. It was some sort of small ravine covered by shadow. The rat-faced man went headlong to tumble to its base with a cry and a groan. He fell flat on his face and it hurt. At least nothing was broken. He panicked when he realized Coal was loose. He dropped the bird in the fall. The blackbird was squawking noisily and hopping about. A loud crunching of breaking tree limbs echoed out behind him. Ganze felt his heart sink. He scrambled to reclaim his panicked friend. He finally wrapped his arms around the bird when he felt a warm air wash over him. The sensation cut through the chill of the night. There was the distinct odor of blood accompanying it. Trembling so hard he thought his bones might come apart, Ganze turned. Not three feet from his face were those huge, demonic red eyes. There was nothing left to do, so he fell to his knees and begged for his life. At least Coal was too terrified to struggle anymore.
“Please don’t eat me,” he pleaded. “I have gold, lots and lots of gold. Jewels actually. It’s all yours if you just let me and my bird go.”
Another wave of the putrid, warm breath washed over him as a deep rumbling laughter filled the air. “What is to stop me from claiming the jewels from your corpse, human?” The dragon growled. The voice was deep and smooth but distinctly feminine.
It spoke to him. If it spoke then it was intelligent enough to understand him. If it was intelligent, it could be reasoned with. Now it was time for Ganze to do what he did best. He was going to use whatever he could think of to save his life. All he needed was a direction to go in, before it decided to turn him into a light snack.
“Tell me what you want and I will tell you how I can get it for you, oh mighty dragon of the night. I have many connections, all across Pangias,” the gangly man pleaded.
“There is only one thing I need,” the voice rumbled. “I must obey my master for he holds the power that binds. Though, I have enjoyed the slaughter of many soldiers, there are certain humans I seek. You speak of great knowledge, do you know of the Messengers of Vergehen?”
“I do indeed!” He beamed. “I have traveled with them much, and recently.” Ganze silently said a prayer to Aethine for watching over him this night. He still could
not believe that he was talking to a dragon.
“You just might be of some use after all, human, if you speak the truth,” the deep voice chuckled with its slightly feminine tone.
“I promise I will be of much use, oh mighty dragon of the night,” Ganze groveled desperately.
“Call me Shattra, that is my name,” the dragon growled.
“Yes, of course, oh mighty Shattra,” Ganze bowed to the dark dragon. His knees were trembling so hard he nearly fell over. “Your wish is my command, mistress.”
- Chapter 24 -
Seaside
Tark waited and waited patiently for the sage to awaken from her troubled sleep. Her arm was set and mending well and her bruises were lessening but still she did not stir. Ado and Nivit were both growing impatient as well. Something was not right. The little ones related the story of the reiver attack to the big man in detail. Hearing that the freakish god-creature had gotten a hold on her, made Tark shudder. He could not help but recall the elfin merchants on the streets of Talwen being drained to death and their intense cries of agony. Just looking at Herrin, they could see the creature’s embrace left a lasting effect. She looked considerably older and extremely worn. Her skin was white and pasty with many more creases and her breathing was erratic. She mumbled, tossed and turned occasionally, but she would not wake.
“Is she going to be alright, Mr. Tark?” The little fairy asked nervously. Tears were already building in her big blue-green eyes.
Tark hesitated, unsure how to respond. “Doesn’t look good to me,” Ado sighed.
The gladiator started to reprimand the gremlin, but then realized that he was only speaking the truth. Nivit nodded sadly and flitted to the old woman’s side. The tiny girl held the woman’s hand comfortingly. Nivit’s soft sniffles were her only sound.