The Chronicles of Dragon Collection (Series 1 Omnibus, Books 1-10)

by Craig Halloran

  Just thinking about it made Brenwar want to pull his beard out.

  “If men were as honest as dwarves, we’d never have all these problems.”

  Miles from the next settlement, he put the horn to his ear and listened hour after hour in the pouring rain.

  “Nothing,” he grumbled, then traveled on.

  CHAPTER 28

  “Baaaaaaaaaaaaay-Zog!” I screamed as I fell. I couldn’t even see Ben, but I could hear him in the darkness.

  “HEEEEELP MEEEEEEEE!”

  There was light.

  Thud!

  Pain.

  Thud!

  And Ben landing on top of me. Whatever hadn't hurt before hurt now, and everything else was worse. I pushed Ben’s groaning body off of me and rose to my feet.

  The room was filled with brilliant lights, colorful cushions, and silk drapes. The incense was so strong I could almost taste it.

  “Whew! What is that?” Ben said, fanning his face.

  I jerked him up to his feet.

  “Just relax, Ben. He’ll be offended if you don’t.”

  “Who?” he said, pinching his nose.

  Shuffling toward the center of the room, I said, “Bayzog, I know you wish to greet, else I would have landed on a harder floor.”

  “How big is this place?” Ben said, spinning around. “It was just a tiny building.”

  It was a huge room, like the ballrooms in the castles. A large sphere of square-cut crystals twinkled above. The floor was hardwood, the room a rectangle, with a fireplace of burning logs in every corner. Huge cushions were scattered all over the room, and in the middle was a large, square table, waist high with no chairs. Bayzog stood there, staring down into a book the size of ten. He turned and spoke in a strong, dark voice.

  “If I’d known you were coming, I’d have left a pillow out… maybe.” He bowed. “Unwelcome, Nath Dragon.”

  “Not glad to be here,” I replied.

  Bayzog was black haired, small framed, but sturdy. He wore a red wizard's tunic embroidered with arcane signs and symbols. Everything was impeccable about his character, and his violet eyes were bright, deep, probing. He was part elven, rich, and full of mystery.

  I extended my dragon hand.

  “My, how eerie are those? He grabbed my arm and started needling it with his fingers. “Nath, I’ve never seen black dragon scales before. But I’ve heard about them.”

  “You have?”

  He grabbed a clear glass lens the size of a fist off his table and took a closer look.

  “Certainly.”

  “Sorry, of course you have.” I said. “What can you tell me about them?”

  “Hold on,” he said, glancing over Ben. “Hmmm… I see you’ve replaced Brenwar… obviously a good choice.” He grabbed Ben’s hand, blinking.

  “Nath,” Ben said, pulling away, but Bayzog held him fast, “what is he doing?”

  “Just be still, Ben. If he wanted to harm you, you’d know already.”

  Studying Ben, Bayzog said, “My, this one’s nothing but trouble, isn’t he?”

  “Er… what do you mean? I’m not trouble.” Ben looked at me. “Am I?”

  I shrugged.

  Ben tried to pull away again, but Bayzog closed his eyes and held him fast.

  “Hmmm… could be good… could be bad.” He released Ben. “He needs more time, Dragon.” Opening his eyes, Bayzog said, “And some polishing up will do. Sasha!”

  A lovely woman, all human, appeared in white robes.

  “Sasha,” I said, unable to contain my smile, “it’s been too long.”

  She brushed her auburn locks from her blue eyes and said, “It’s good to see you, too, Dragon.” She took Ben by the hand and said, “Come along.”

  Ben, stupefied, said nothing as she led him, smiling, out of the room. I felt like a boulder had rolled off my chest.

  “Unthank you, Bayzog.”

  “Unwelcome, and don’t worry; she’ll find suitable stitchings, but you’ll have to do the rest,” Bayzog said.

  “I’m not doing anything. I agreed to bring him to the city. Promised him a meal and good rest. He’s off to the Legionnaires after this.”

  “No he isn’t,” Bayzog said, thumbing through the book's huge pages.

  “Yes he is,” I objected. “And if you like him so much, he can stay with you.”

  “Did you come here to argue with me, or did you come for my help?”

  I came to get answers. When it came to dragons, Bayzog could deliver. He knew almost as much about dragons as I did.

  “All right, what’s in that big book of yours?”

  Somehow, Bayzog had everything he ever learned in one book. The Book of Many Pages. It was one big book, or tome rather, on one big table, accompanied with magic ink and quill.

  “You know, I have many things in this book. Stories, legends, maps, spells, histories. Everything I’ve ever learned or heard is right here.”

  “How do you add more pages?”

  His cheerless face brightened a little.

  “It can add as many as I need. That’s why I made the book.”

  Looking at it, I said, “That’s a lot of pages. How do you know where to look for something? Where do you start?”

  “Book, black dragon scales.”

  The pages came to life, stirring the air, ruffling my hair before they came to a stop.

  “Impressive.” I squinted. The words would shift and move as I read. I leaned away, pinching the bridge of my nose, and stepped back. “How do you read that? It hurts my eyes.”

  He showed a wry smile.

  “Right. I understand, wizard. So, what does it say?”

  “The color of scales on black dragons,” he said, running his finger down the page. “Rare. No black dragons seen since the last dragon war.”

  He closed the book and stepped away.

  “What did you do that for?”

  “Nath, tell me what happened. How did you get that arm? You’re supposed to get scales, but black ones?”

  I’d been friends with Bayzog for more than a hundred years, and he knew my story and who my father was. He was fascinated by dragons, but in a good way. So I told him about the people I had killed in Orcen Hold and the last conversation I had had with my father.

  “But,” I showed him the white spot on my hand, “I think I’m turning things around. I even saved a steel dragon and found a Thunderstone.”

  Bayzog’s eyes lit up.

  “Do you still have it?”

  “No, the steel dragon swallowed it.”

  Pacing back and forth, Bayzog said, “That’s a shame.”

  “Losing the Thunderstone?”

  “Yes to that. No,” Bayzog frowned, “to never going home again. I know how that feels.”

  The brief moment of emptiness in his eyes left me feeling empty again as well.

  “So, Dragon, what is your plan?”

  “I want to rescue dragons. Many of them at once. That will do it! I know the more I free, the more I can be cured. I know you can help me find them. I need to find a flock of dragons!” I grabbed his shoulder. “You have to help me, Bayzog.”

  “Ahem.”

  Sasha, now wearing loose-fitting robes, reentered the room with a pleasant smile on her face.

  “Where’s Ben?” I asked.

  “He’s taking a nap,” she said, drifting to Bayzog's side.

  “A nap?”

  “The young man is tired, Dragon.” Her blue eyes flared at me. “And you should do the same.”

  Suddenly, my lids became heavy, and I couldn’t fight the yawn.

  “Ah, Sasha,” Bayzog wrapped his arm around her waist and smiled, “always trying to comfort her guests.”

  Covering my yawn, I fought back and said, “No, not this time, Sasha. Last time, you put me down for two days. I appreciate your concern, but your efforts won’t work on me this time. I’m ready.”

  “Ah, Dragon, you know she can’t help herself. She knows what’s best for you, you
know. And you look tired. I’ve never seen a tired dragon before.”

  I felt tired. My jaw ached, and my face felt swollen. And with every little movement, I felt my cracked ribs inside. And I remember the last time I took a long nap and what happened when I woke up.

  “Come on, Dragon,” Sasha pleaded.

  A chair slid across the room and stopped beside me.

  Magi didn’t get guests very often, so when you came, they expected you to stay awhile.

  “I’ll sit, but you, Bayzog, need to tell me what you know. I saw that look in your eyes before your book closed.”

  Sasha looked at him and said, “What is it, Bayzog? You can’t keep secrets from our friend.”

  “Please, dear,” he said. “It’s a delicate matter. “

  She pulled away, fists dropping to her hips.

  “Too delicate for my ears?”

  Bayzog's hand recoiled to his chest as he pleaded.

  “Certainly not, my love.”

  I liked Sasha. She was all about the truth, which was uncommon for a wizard. And as I’ve said, wizards, magic users, and necromancers could not be trusted. Not even an old friend like Bayzog. When it came to power, they had their weaknesses. Sasha, however, wasn’t like that. What she lacked in Bayzog’s power, she made up for with integrity.

  “Well?” she said, tapping her bare foot on the floor.

  Bayzog flittered his fingers and muttered the strangest words.

  Where one fireplace blazed in the corner, cushioned chairs and a sofa accompanied it now.

  “Shall we?” he said, arm extended to the corner.

  I limped over and slumped into the furniture.

  “It would have been nice if I'd landed on this sofa rather than your hard floor.”

  Sasha readied me a drink from the serving station.

  “Coffee, tea or—”

  “Wizard's Water would be fine.”

  She smiled, saying, “Excellent choice.”

  She poured a red melon-colored drink in a crystal glass and served us all.

  Bayzog hoisted up his glass and said, “To old friends.”

  “And dead enemies,” I added.

  I drank. Smooth, bitter, and invigorating. I felt my mind and body begin to rest. Tea, coffee, wine, ale did little for me, but the wizard's magic elixir did much. It filled me, refreshed me, and cleared my senses.

  “Ah… I needed that.” I clopped my glass on the table and leaned toward Bayzog. “So, tell me what you saw, wizard.”

  Sasha leaned his way as well, her beautiful eyes intent on his face.

  “Dragon, listen, it’s not something that I think is worth mentioning. I can’t confirm any of it.”

  “Bayzog, tell him!”

  Bayzog, the epitome of poise, slumped back in his chair, face drawn up with worry.

  Sasha gasped, “Bayzog, where are your manners?”

  He sighed, one eye open, one on my arm.

  “Dragon, your arm, its curse is much worse than suspected.”

  CHAPTER 29

  “How much worse can it be?” I said. “And besides,” I showed him the white scales in the palm of my hand, “I think it’s getting better.”

  Sasha took my hand in hers and traced her fingers over it.

  “I’ve never felt live dragon scales before, at least not on a man,” she said. “They’re beautiful.”

  That made me feel good. After all, how could something beautiful be bad? I knew I was good.

  “Sasha, please, can’t you tell he’s enough in love with himself already?” He paused, looking at me. “You like it, Dragon. Don’t you? The raw power it contains.”

  I reached over, refilling my glass of Wizard’s Water.

  “Wouldn’t you, Bayzog?”

  “Power, yes. Cursed power… no. Listen, have you ever seen a black dragon before?”

  I shook my head.

  “There’s a reason for that,” he said, sitting back up in his chair. “They’re all dead. They all died in the last dragon war.”

  “So?” I shrugged. “I’m sure many dragons died off in the last dragon war.”

  Rising to his feet, Bayzog walked over to the fire, rubbing his hands.

  “How much did your father tell you about the Great Dragon War?”

  I had to think about that. My father had told me many things, but he never spoke about the dragon wars, and I’d never really given them much thought until now.

  “I see,” Bayzog continued. “Just so you know, legends say that it was the black dragons that started the Great Dragon War.”

  I fell back in the sofa, glancing at Sasha’s eyes. I could see she was worried.

  “And my father killed them?” I asked.

  Bayzog shook his head slightly, saying, “We don’t know that he killed them. Any of the dragons could have killed them. But they were the cause. They were the solution.”

  I pulled my arm from Sasha. It was no wonder my father was so furious with me. Black dragon's scales. A reminder of the war. But why did I have them? I was good, after all.

  “Bayzog, how come I’ve never heard of this: the black dragons, the war? You’d think I would have crossed paths with it by now.”

  “There are legends and histories, some true, some not, in some cases neither, others both.”

  “That’s not really an answer.”

  “Well, the Great Dragon War might be over, but the evil remains. Much of it is hidden from our eyes, but some of it is right in front of us, mixing the truth with lies.”

  I took another drink because I was feeling weary again.

  “Like the Clerics of Barnabus?” I sighed.

  “Do you know the legend of Barnabus, Dragon?” Sasha said.

  “Well enough, I suppose.”

  “Oh, show him, Bayzog. Show him how the story unfolded.” She batted her eyes at him. “Please.”

  He frowned at first and then smiled, saying, “You know I can never tell you no.”

  She huffed. “You tell me no all the time.”

  “Only when I study.”

  She whispered in my ear.

  “That’s all the time.”

  He brushed his black hair past the point of his elven ear and said, “I heard that.”

  Then with a twitch of his fingers, the flames swirled into a sea of color. In the flames, the image of a mighty man appeared, fully armored, carrying a great sword over his shoulder.

  “Barnabus,” Bayzog said. “One of the few Legionnaires who aided the good dragons in battle.”

  The image of Barnabus was doused in flames as a dragon appeared from behind.

  “I love this part,” Sasha said, hugging my arm.

  Barnabus turned and ran his sword right through its heart. The flames roared out, and only Barnabus remained. You could see nothing of the man, only his armored metal shell.

  “Barnabus, the histories say, killed the last black dragon. It was his bravery and his sword, Stryker, that ended the war. But the Clerics of Barnabus would have Nalzambor believe differently. Under his name, they claim to protect us from all kinds of dragons, claiming they are evil, dangerous. We know better, but most people don’t. They fear the dragons. They loathe them. They capture them and sell them from the temples of Barnabus.”

  “Oh, I hate those clerics!” Sasha said, reddening. “I’d kill them all if you’d let me.”

  “It’s not our fight, dearest.”

  I eyed Bayzog, saying, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Holding his hands up, he added, “At least not yet. Dragon, I’m fascinated by you and your kind, but it’s the people I protect, not dragons. That’s your charge. But,” he bowed, “I’ll help you with whatever you can do.”

  I felt that Bayzog was holding back. Wizards always did.

  “Tell me where the dragons are?”

  “I can’t help much there, Dragon. They’re hiding. The Clerics have their ears, and they have been as thick as wolves' fur out there. And then you, you of all people, come strolling into this
city, knowing full well they’ve a bounty on you.”

  I jumped to my feet.

  “How did you know that?”

  He rolled his eyes.

  I threw my arms up.

  “Of course! Of course you knew! All right, Bayzog, if you don’t want to help, just say so.”

  I slammed my glass down on the table.

  Sasha grabbed me, saying, “Dragon, behave yourself. You know Bayzog means well.”

  “Does he? Sorry Sasha, but I don’t have time for games. I took the risk coming here certain you would help me out. But all you offer is fairy tales and water.” I glared at Bayzog. “Let me out of this crazy place.” I scoured the room but saw no door.

  “Calm yourself, Dragon,” Bayzog demanded. “You need rest, and your fresh wounds need to be healed. Have a few hours of peace. I’ll see if I can find something, and you can leave when I do.”

  “Let me out now, wizard!”

  “You’re a guest; you can leave whenever you wish. But what about your friend, Ben? Will you abandon him as well?”

  I'd forgotten about Ben, but I didn’t care. I just wanted out of there.

  “Yes. Goodbye, Sasha. I hope you stay well.”

  She kissed me on the cheek and said, “Be careful.”

  I shot Bayzog another look, and then I closed my eyes. Remembering how this went, I thought of the front door. I opened my eyes and saw the gargoyle knocker. Behind me, the stairs. Maybe I’d been hasty. Maybe I’d been rude, but I had things to do.

  I stomped down the stairs.

  “I don’t need your help anyway.”

  ***

  “Bayzog! What is wrong with you?” Sasha said. “Dragon is our friend, and he needs us.”

  He sighed as he took her by the hands and said, “Yes, he does need us, but we cannot help him. Only he can help himself. If he can’t … we’ll all need help.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Bayzog strolled over to his massive table and opened his book.