Omensent: Princess Of Dragons (Book 5)

by Barry Gibbons

  "Why not have them take a room in a local inn?" Shirk asked curiously.

  "There aren't any inns here on the island." Brody told them, continuing up the stairs to the next floor, which was a bustling kitchen filled with a dozen elves who were busy preparing the afternoon meal. "Without any of the other races visiting our island to trade, there is no need for them."

  "What if an elf from another part of the island decides to visit Celestia?" The bearded bandit asked with a befuddled expression. "Where would they stay?"

  "We elves are not like the other races." Brody explained in an infuriatingly superior tone. "We welcome in those of our own kind as freely as we would a family member, though most elves have relatives dispersed throughout the island with whom they stay with while traveling."

  They continued to the next floor, which turned out to be an enormous dining room containing a single table carved from a massive circular slab of polished quartz capable of accommodating at least a hundred people. There were several huge windows framed in golden draperies which allowed the sunlight to flood into the room, providing a splendid view of the sprawling city below.

  The next four floors were walled off separate from the stairs, concealing its contents from those making their way to the top of the tower.

  "These floors are reserved for the royal family." Delilah explained as they passed several more guards who immediately stepped aside to allow them to pass. "They can only be accessed through the throne room to ensure our queen's privacy."

  "Is there a king?" Raven asked curiously.

  "King Elvon died over a century ago after eating some tainted shellfish." The elven woman frowned. "They had a son who drowned the year before after getting tangled in a fisherman's nets while swimming."

  "How awful!" Raven gasped in horror.

  "It truly was." Delilah agreed mournfully. "Our queen, still to this day, mourns for her husband and child, though she finds solace in watching over her people as if they were all her children."

  They finally reached the top floor of the tower and found their way blocked by several more elven guards, all of whom were armed with short swords.

  "Not taking any chances with the queen's safety, I see." Damarius murmured as the elves quickly blocked the heavy oak doors which led into the throne room.

  "We wish to see the queen." Delilah announced in a commanding tone. "We have returned from the southern continent with news."

  "You wish to bring outsiders before our queen?" One of the elves asked with an outraged expression. "They have no business being here! They do not belong on our island!"

  "These outsiders are here at the queen's invitation." Brody informed him in a flinty tone. "She has been waiting for some time for this meeting, and we do not wish to keep her waiting any longer." He gestured for the guards to stand aside, but they didn't budge.

  "Why would the queen invite outsiders to our island?" The elf asked, staring at Damion and the others suspiciously. "She has never allowed them to visit our island before now. Why would she wish to speak with these vagrants?"

  "This vagrant is the Dragon Lord, you blockhead!" Brody suddenly growled with surprising heat. "He has come at the queen's request to aid us in our struggle against the blood elves! Now stand aside! I'll not have you keep him waiting any longer, just so you may insult him further!"

  "The Dragon Lord?" The elf gasped, scrambling back so quickly that he collided with several of his fellow guards. "I thought he was just a legend!" He gestured for the other guards to move away, then stepped aside, his expression suddenly sickly.

  "You'd be surprised at how often I hear that." Damion told Delilah with a chuckle as two of the guards pulled open the heavy oak doors to allow them to pass.

  They passed through the doorway and found themselves in a huge vaulted chamber which was paneled with darkly stained wood panels that had been polished until they gleamed. A dozen enormous windows framed with long drapes dyed a deep purple had been spaced evenly around the chamber, allowing the occupants a magnificent view of both the city and the ocean. The floor of the chamber was tiled in white quartz tiles which shimmered hypnotically in the sunlight, mirroring the sparkling quartz on the tall vaulted ceiling.

  In the center of the chamber stood an elaborate throne unlike any they had ever seen before. It appeared to have been crafted out of the trunk of an enormous tree, and carved into the shape of a crescent moon, allowing it to accommodate a number of people comfortably. The center of the throne had a tall back with an incredibly detailed carving of a lone mountain peak which tapered down to an ancient forest background that wrapped around the entire inside of the oddly shaped cathedra.

  Sitting in the center of the strange throne was an incredibly beautiful elven woman wearing a low cut dress which had been dyed a brilliant shade of green, and knee high boots made from a soft, supple leather. A sparkling crown made of gold, silver, and diamonds was perched lightly amongst an elaborate display long blond curls that were the color of spun gold, and which flowed down around her shoulders in a stunning cascade.

  "I still have my doubts, my queen." A stern faced elf sitting on the throne to the right of the queen murmured, his expression disapproving. "I have heard the stories about this Dragon Lord, and I'm not so sure that it was wise to ask for his aid. From what I have heard, everywhere that he goes, destruction follows."

  "I can't deny that Damion can be a bit... heavy handed, at times," A small boy with fiery red hair, who sitting to the queen's left, admitted helplessly. "but I can't think of a more honorable and trustworthy person to help us."

  "Heavy handed?" Damion asked in mock outrage, causing all three of the throne's occupants to turn and stare at the newcomers in surprise.

  "Damion?" The red haired boy let out a sudden laugh, then leapt up from his place on the throne and hurried over, smiling from ear to ear. "When did you arrive?"

  "We just pulled into port." The huge warrior replied, scooping Dar up into a crushing embrace. "Where have you been? We have been worried about you. We haven't seen or heard from you in over a year now."

  "I've been here trying to help Queen Serena sort out this mess with the blood elves." The childlike sprite shrugged as Damion placed him on his feet once again. "It has been keeping me occupied for some time now." He looked around in confusion. "Where's Leia?"

  "We left her in charge of Sevria while we are gone." Raven told him as she kissed him on his forehead. "We thought it was about time that she learned what it's like to have such a serious responsibility on her shoulders."

  "You what?" Dar burst out in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. "Are you mad? What if she gets angry and decides to start turning everyone into garden slugs?"

  "That won't happen." Damion chuckled. "We had a long discussion about our reasons for leaving her behind, and she understands that the people of Sevria are looking to her to guide them in our absence. Besides, she has Sly and Aunt Skie there to help keep her from doing anything too foolish."

  "Your majesty," Dar hurried back toward the unusual looking throne. "allow me to introduce the Dragon Lord, Damion Omensent." He gestured to the huge warrior, who nodded politely.

  "Greetings, Dragon Lord," The elven woman rose to her feet and glided gracefully forward to meet him. "It is an honor to finally meet you. Dar has spoken quite highly of you. Indeed, he has been regaling us with tales of your exploits for many years now. It seems you are quite the hero."

  "I'm not a hero." Damion shook his head. "Catastrophes just seem to have a way of finding me. And you can call me Damion, your majesty. Dragon Lord is a moniker bestowed to me by the people. This," He gestured to his dark haired young wife, who curtsied respectfully. "is my wife, Raven; my friend and teacher, Damarius the Sorcerer," He gestured to the old wizard, who had dressed in his most impressive robes for the occasion. "and Shirk of Arleia, a friend and advisor who has a vast amount of experience in dealing with subterfuge." The old bandit attempted a graceful bow which ended up looking more like an awkward squat.
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  The elven queen nodded to each of them politely. "You are all very welcome." She gestured towards the throne. "Please, come join us." She returned to her seat in the center.

  "This is a most interesting looking throne, your majesty." Damarius commented as they took their seats. "I don't think I have ever seen anything quite like it before."

  "It was carved by Ramon the Elder himself." The elf who had been sitting to the right of the queen informed him in a slightly cool tone. "He designed it to be large enough to hold all of the elders of the various elven families and himself. He wanted to convey the fact that they were all one. Each family merely a branch from the same tree."

  "This is Gilroy of Willowdale, Elder of the House of Weeping." Dar introduced the stony faced elf with a slightly irritated expression. "He is one of Queen Serena's advisors."

  "It is a pleasure to meet you." Damion nodded to the elf, who merely stared at the big warrior coldly.

  "I trust your journey here was pleasant?" The queen asked politely, seeming not to notice her advisor's cold demeanor.

  "It was." Damion smiled, ignoring the suspicious glare Gilroy of Willowdale was directing at him. "It is nice to get away from all of the responsibilities of running a city once and a while."

  "I wouldn't know." Queen Serena sighed wistfully. "I have never left this island. I rarely even leave this tower nowadays. There is always something that requires my immediate attention."

  "Your island is incredible." Raven told the elven queen with an appreciative smile. "Etha Brody wasn't exaggerating when he told us that it was a paradise."

  "Our ancestors chose wisely when selecting a new home for our people." The elven queen agreed with a nod. "They scoured nearly every corner of the planet in search of a place where our people could thrive in peace, far removed from the affairs of the other races."

  "I thought that the elves had always lived on the island." Shirk murmured in surprise. "Where did your people dwell before coming here?"

  "Our ancestors once lived far to the east, in an ancient land we called Elhenia," Gilroy murmured with a sad expression. "then the War of the Gods shattered the blissful peace of our homeland, and nearly destroyed our people."

  "Our people were the very first to fall when the Etazk conquered the eastern continent." Queen Serena's eyes swam with angry tears. "We were unable to repel their superior numbers, and were forced to flee our homeland in search of a new home." She let out a defeated sigh. "In the end, less than five hundred elves survived the massacre."

  "How awful!" Raven gasped in horror. "It's no wonder that your ancestors wished to find a place far away from the rest of the world."

  "Indeed." The queen nodded in agreement. "Ramon the Elder realized that our people had no chance of surviving unless we left the other races to their various wars, and retreated to a place that few would ever find." She smiled. "Of course, back then, there was very little activity on the open sea, and this island was well off of the edge of most mariners' maps. Once it was located by our ancestors, the few remaining survivors crammed aboard six small ships and came here. This island has served our purposes well, and has allowed us to come back from the brink of extinction."

  "Which is another reason why I think that it was unwise to seek the Dragon Lord's aid." Gilroy murmured stiffly. "Associating with the lesser races has brought our people nothing but misery in the past. Why should we expect it to be any different this time?"

  "We have already discussed this, Gilroy." Queen Serena snapped impatiently, a faint blush of embarrassment touching her pale cheeks. "I will not have you questioning my decision on the matter any further."

  "As you wish, your majesty." The elven man nodded, his expression disapproving. "If I have your permission to leave, I think I shall return to my responsibilities." Without waiting for an answer, he rose to his feet and stormed away.

  "By the gods," Queen Serena swore in exasperation as they watched Gilroy disappear from the throne room. "That elf gives me a headache!"

  "I understand how you feel." Damion chuckled in sympathy. "There are a number of citizens back in Sevria who seem to spend all of their time looking for different ways to irritate me."

  "And how do you handle it?"

  "He usually just threatens to turn them into turnips." Damarius answered for the big warrior.

  "I do nothing of the kind," Damion objected, then his face suddenly fell. "Okay, maybe once or twice, but I'm usually able to find a solution without resorting to threats and intimidation."

  "Unfortunately, I don't have to power to turn my enemies into turnips," The elven queen said with a musical laugh. "although I can see where it would come in handy." She glanced out of one of the nearby windows. "It is almost time for the morning meal. I insist that you all join me. It is rare that I have visitors, save for a few of my advisors." She looked to Brody. "Would you please advise the servants that we have guests, and have them prepare suitable quarters. Tell them to make sure that the Dragon Lord and his companions have everything that they require during their stay."

  "I'll see to it immediately, my queen." Brody quickly hurried off to carry out her orders.

  "That is very kind, your majesty." Damion nodded his head in thanks.

  "Please," Queen Serena said in a plain tone. "just call me Serena. I'm not really one to stand on ceremony, unless the occasion demands it. Now that the introductions are over, I don't see any reason we can't drop the formalities."

  "Well said." Dar grinned.

  Several elves suddenly appeared bearing a large horseshoe shaped wooden table which they quickly placed before the throne, then several more elves appeared bearing trays laden with food and drink.

  "Now this is what I call a morning meal!" Shirk smiled in appreciation at the sight of all of the succulent food.

  "So tell me, Delilah," The queen started, choosing several slices of fruit and placing them on a plate before her. "What is your opinion of our new friends here?"

  "They seem to be everything that Dar promised us and more." Delilah answered, appearing unsurprised by the queen's bluntness. "Etha Brody and I explained what was happening here on the island, and they immediately agreed to help us, without asking for anything in return." She smiled a slightly wicked smile. "Brody and I had wagered fifty gold pieces on that last bit. He believed that they would ask to be compensated for their aid, while I believed Dar's assurances that they would help us because it was the right thing to do. I won."

  "I'm happy to hear it." The queen returned the wicked smile. "Etha Brody can be almost as frustrating as Gilroy. It's good to hear that you took him down a peg."

  "That wasn't the only wager that Brody lost." Damarius commented with a grunting laugh. "He decided to try and challenge Damion's daughter, Leia, to an archery contest, putting up his own bow as a wager." The old wizard quickly described the archery contest between Brody and Leia. "You should have seen his face when her arrow split his in two, and then continued on to strike the target! His jaw nearly dropped off of his face!"

  "I would have given anything to have been there!" The elven queen laughed in delight. "I thought I had noticed a slight change in his demeanor. He seemed to be a bit more reserved, almost polite. That's not like him."

  "I think our little Leia may have shaken a few of Brody's preconceptions." Raven explained with a smile. "They seemed to rub each other the wrong way from the moment they first met, and after a few condescending comments were cast in her direction, she finally decided to take matters into her own hands."

  "So Brody lost his bow to a child?" Queen Serena looked both amused and shocked. "How did he take it?"

  "Better than I would have expected." Delilah admitted. "He apparently tried to surrender it to her, but she insisted that he keep it. I think she just wanted to make a point."

  "And did she?"

  "I would say so." Damion nodded. "Especially after Xaxis showed up."

  "Xaxis?" The queen looked confused. "Who is Xaxis?"

  "Xaxis is one of the
veiled dragons, a breed of serpent created from Leia's blood by the Dragon God, Draco." The huge warrior explained. "He considers Leia his mother, and would do anything for her. His appearance seemed to force Brody into accepting that there was much more to Leia than meets the eye."

  "Dar told me of how your daughter was kidnapped, and about the ensuing chase to recover her from her captors." The elven woman murmured hesitantly. "Is it true that you faced the Dragon God to get her back?"

  "It is." Damion nodded. "It was the only way to keep her from being taken. It was also what forced Him into lashing out against me, breaking the Pact of the Gods."

  The queen turned to Dar. "I am sorry for ever doubting you. It appears that he is everything that you have promised us and more."

  "I thought you might like him." The childlike Alena grinned, grabbing a large apple from a platter. "Damion can be a bit unorthodox from time to time, but he always gets the job done."

  "Speaking of that," Shirk started, piling several waffles onto his plate with a hungry expression. "We encountered a couple of those blood elves that have been giving you trouble. A pair of them somehow managed to slip aboard our ship and attempted to attack Damion and Captain Harper once we were at sea."

  "Are you certain that they were blood elves?" The queen asked after a couple of moments of stunned silence.

  "There can be no doubt." Delilah sighed sadly. "One of the attackers was Jenen's son, Relvin. He was killed in the initial attack. The other attacker survived, but was severely injured."

  "I gave him a bit of potion to help ease his pain which also acts as a truth serum." Damarius explained to the queen, brushing his brow lock from his eyes absently. "We managed to ask him a few quick questions, but he died before we could get anything useful from him."