“No,” Ben said, shaking his head.
“Nor would I.”
Ben cocked an eyebrow and said, “Huh, now that I think about it, it’s always tougher to do the right thing than the wrong thing.”
“Doing right builds character. That much is certain.”
“But,” Ben said, “do you think they know it’s wrong?”
“At one time, maybe they did, but over time, evil debases the mind.”
“Hmmm,” Ben said, “are you worried that can happen to Dragon?”
Several horse lengths in front of them, Nath’s big body was being towed through the tall grasses. His body was covered in cloth and his head was wrapped up in a cowl, still leaving his face and jaw exposed.
“I shudder to think such a thing, Ben. Nath’s been nothing but good, but those scales … his moods … they seem to be gaining control of him. The catacombs of evil are deep, and it’s easy to get lost if you go too far. Many never return. Guilt, worry, and power can consume you.”
“This is bigger than just Dragon, isn’t it?” Ben said. “But he has something to do with it.”
The statement was a surprise, but Bayzog found relief in it. Ben had wisdom, and that could help them.
Still, Bayzog shrugged.
“What about wars and such things?” Ben asked. “How do we know when they are right or wrong?”
“We are allowed to defend ourselves, Ben. The important thing is that in the name of peace, we don’t compromise with evil.”
“Why?” Ben said. “What if it saves more people?
Bayzog looked right at him.
“Evil always does bad things, Ben. It never moves closer to doing good. Trying to compromise with evil only moves you closer to doing bad.”
“I guess so,” Ben said.
They kept riding, and Ben finally drifted away. Bayzog figured he’d given him plenty to think about and even more for himself to consider.
What an interesting young man. The world could use more like him.
Still, Ben’s questions plagued him more the farther they rode. Bayzog wasn’t sure he’d made himself clear, but hopefully Ben had understood.
There were other examples he could have told, such as the stories of the elves and orcs. The Elvish strove to live by the highest standards, relishing peace, knowledge, art, and beauty. Orcish standards were deplorable: fighting and wallowing in filth for power. That was evil to see.
But what about the evil that wasn’t so easy to see? Beautiful, cunning, and lethal. A beautiful flower whose leaves were poisoned. How did one prepare for that?
Ahead, Brenwar had stopped. Shifting in the saddle, the burly dwarf sniffed the air and combed his fingers through his beard.
Bayzog rode up to Brenwar’s side, as did the others.
“Why are we stopping?” Sasha said. “Is that a bad storm ahead?”
“The storm isn’t anything to worry about,” Brenwar said in his gruff voice, “just water for the trees and the flowers. It’s those birds.” He pointed.
They were circling now, floating on their wings above the trees, but moving forward.
“Looks like vultures,” Ben said. “Or other carrion eaters. I’d assume something’s dead below. You aren’t worried about birds, are you, Brenwar?”
Brenwar eyed Ben and then made a sound. His horse started forward.
“Are you ready for anything?” Brenwar unslung his war hammer from his shoulder. “Because anything is coming.”
“What do you mean?” Sasha said.
Bayzog placed his hand over his brows and scanned the sky.
“Those aren’t birds,” he said, squinting. “Those are dragons.”
CHAPTER 21
“Maybe they’re good dragons,” Ben said.
“Good dragons aren’t so easily seen,” Bayzog said. “Remember the last ones we saw at the crater? They scattered.”
“Oh,” Ben said.
Bayzog’s heart pounded. Dragons were the most exciting things you’d ever see, but only because sighting them was a rare thing. Like watching a flower bloom. This was different. Dragons flying in plain sight and coming right at them. Reason for concern.
“Brenwar,” he said, “Perhaps we should venture on another course. There’s no rush, after all, is there?”
Brenwar grunted. “Perhaps.” He tugged at the reins, taking a more westward direction. The dragons, less than a mile away, still headed right for them.
This is not good.
Sasha came along Bayzog’s side. “I can’t tell if they’re dragons or birds. They’re just specks to me. Are you certain they’re dragons?”
“I am,” Bayzog said, reaching over and grabbing her palm. “Stay close, Sasha, and have a spell prepared.”
“What kind of spell? Don’t I need to know what kind of dragons they are?”
Every dragon had a weakness. It might be an element such as water or fire. It could be a sound, loud or soft. Different metals and different magic. If you didn’t have what you needed in a battle of mortal versus dragon, they’d rip you apart with their teeth and claws. In most cases, that was all they needed.
“I’m not sure. Not without a closer look. What do you think, Brenwar?”
“Yer eyes are better than mine, elf,” Brenwar said, squinting, “Tell me what you see.”
“Black wings and grey scales,” he said, “and a smooth oval head. A little more color in the tail, a dark red.”
“Oval head,” Brenwar said, rubbing his beard. “Hmmm, what about the belly?”
“Dark grey, almost black, I’d say.”
The dwarf made an ugly sound in his throat and pulled his horse to a stop. Brenwar had at least a few centuries on Bayzog, and he was certain the dwarf had had more dragon encounters than him by far. Bayzog also knew that Brenwar had been inside the Mountain of Doom, where he’d probably seen things an elf could only dream of.
“Those,” Brenwar said, “if they are as you say, then they are grey scalers.”
“Why do they call them that?” Ben said. “Because they have grey scales?”
“It doesn’t matter why they call them that!” Brenwar huffed. “What matters is what happens if they come after us.” Brenwar eyed their surroundings.
The mountains were still distant. The closest forest was miles away. For now, it was just them, the dragons, and the plains.
“Do you know how to handle grey scalers?” Sasha said to Bayzog.
He shook his head.
All this time with Nath, and I’ve never bothered to ask him about all the different dragons. You always think you have more time than you have. What a fool I’ve been.
“Whatever you’ve got, wizard, get it ready!” Brenwar hopped off his horse and slung his trunk on the ground. “Sorceress, see what you can find in there.” He fumbled with Nath’s wrappings and pulled out the bow and quiver. “You know how to use this?” he said to Ben.
Ben nodded his head.
Brenwar tossed it to him. “Load it up, then. And use the moorite.” He started to walk away and stopped. “And aim for the belly when they ain’t looking. And don’t fire until I tell you.”
“How powerful are those things?” Sasha said.
“Just pretend they’re big scaly dogs with wings.” He winked at her. “A few good licks and we might scare them off.” He looked up at Ben. “Get off that horse, will you? And kneel down in the weeds. They come!”
CHAPTER 22
Snap. Clatch. Snap.
A circle of dragons, wings beating, screeching a terror, was coming right at them.
Ben wanted to plug his ears. Instead he took aim, but his arms were shaking.
“Don’t shoot, boy!” Brenwar growled from somewhere near.
Ben didn’t take his eyes off the dragons.
They flew in a ring, stretching their long necks and screeching down. Their talons clutched in and out and clicked and clacked. Their jaws snapped in the air, and their tails rattled.
Ben swallowed hard, closed one
eye, and took aim. “You can do this, Ben,” he muttered to himself. “Be brave. Not foolish.”
A grey scale swooped down and snapped at Brenwar.
The dwarf swung and missed.
Another dragon came, snapped, and darted back into the ring.
“Keep coming, you ugly birds,” Brenwar said, waving his hammer. “I’ll show you!”
A grey scaler dove straight at Ben.
He hunkered down.
It clipped his helmet with its claws, screeched, and flew away.
Ben rose back to his feet with his heart pounding in between his ears. He couldn’t breathe.
One by one, the dragons dove, dipped, and snapped, like eagles snatching at fish in the river.
Ben heard Sasha scream. He whirled.
A dragon stood on its hind legs, facing her and snapping.
Brenwar charged it.
Twang!
When the first arrow embedded itself in the dragon’s chest, the dragon screeched an awful sound and twisted in the grass.
“I got him!” Ben pumped his fist in the air and raised his knee.
“Quit talking and start reloading,” Brenwar said. “Now they’re all coming!”
Ben nocked another arrow and aimed at a diving dragon.
Twang!
It dipped under the arrow and barreled straight into his chest, driving him into the dirt.
“Get off me!” Ben yelled.
The dragon pinned him to the ground, biting and clawing at him. He felt his skin start to burn. It was like a big dog with a long neck. Strong and fierce. It bit Ben’s leg.
He screamed.
“Let ’em have it,” Brenwar yelled. “All of them!”
A missile of blue light blasted through the wings of the dragon on top of Ben.
It shrieked and darted away.
Nearby, Bayzog’s hands were bright with energy, sending one missile after the next.
Ben slipped an arrow from his quiver and nocked it. Kneeled and searched the sky. His heart was racing. His breath was lost.
Dragons streaked through the sky from all directions, swooping, circling, and diving.
“They’re too fast!”
Twang!
The arrow sailed. The dragon rolled from its path and darted straight for him.
“Ben, look out!”
Brenwar swung his war hammer. Bayzog fired his missiles.
Too late.
A dragon swooped behind Ben and knocked him to the ground, making Akron fall from his grasp.
He looked up in time to see a dragon wrap its talons around it. “No you don’t!” Ben jumped on his bow.
The dragon’s claws tore into his arm.
“Argh!”
The pain was blinding. Ben held on. He was bigger than the dragon by at least a hundred pounds, but the smaller creature was stronger than him.
Swap!
The dragon’s tail cracked him across the face.
Akron fell from his fingers. He hit the ground. There was blood in his eyes. Dizzy, he stumbled forward, chasing after the dragon.
It hissed and took flight with Akron gripped in its talons.
“Dragon’s going to kill me,” Ben said, dropping to his knees.
A bolt of light flashed over his head.
Ssssram!
The dragon exploded in the sky and spiraled to the ground. Akron dropped to earth as well.
“Hurry, Ben!” Sasha said.
She was right behind him with her hands smoking.
He ran over, snatched up the bow, nocked an arrow, and pulled the string back.
“There!” Sasha pointed.
Two grey scalers flanked Bayzog. The wizard had a long mystic shield up that only protected one side.
Twang! Twack!
The arrow struck the pressing grey scaler on its back between the wings. It fell to the ground and died.
“Look!” Brenwar yelled. “They flee!”
Less than a dozen of them took to the air, screeching and roaring, and disappeared.
Bayzog’s shield winked out, and he jogged over to Sasha, who was dusting off her smoking hands. “Are you all right?” Bayzog said.
She swallowed hard. “Just a little faint, but I think I’m all right.”
“You made that dragon explode!” Ben said. “Into pieces! How did you do that?”
“Yes,” Bayzog said, “how did you do that? It was certainly impressive.”
“I drank from this,” she said. She held a sparkling vial that looked like lighting lived in it. “It was in Brenwar’s chest.”
Bayzog leaned over and kissed her forehead.
“Excellent choice. I think you saved us.”
Brenwar walked over with a dragon in his arms. An arrow jutted from its back. “It was a good shot,” Brenwar said.
Ben reached over and touched it. The creature didn’t seem so deadly anymore. He wondered if Dragon would be upset.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Brenwar said.
“What do you mean?” Ben said.
“Take the arrow out of it, boy! Great Guzan! It’s moorite. Do I have to do it for you?”
“Uh …”
Brenwar set the dragon down at his feet. “Whenever yer ready.”
Ben stroked his neck and said to Bayzog, “Do you think it’s evil? Maybe this was one that Dragon would have saved?”
Bayzog furrowed his eyebrows at Ben. “Do you think it would have killed us?”
“Ah,” Ben said. “I see.” Ben pulled the arrow free, cleaned it on the grass, and slid it back into his quiver. “Do we just leave them? Won’t the dragon skin be worth something?”
“Ben!” Sasha said. “What would Nath say if he heard you say that?”
“He wouldn’t say anything,” Ben said, grinning. “He’d just knock me out.”
They laughed.
“Ben, chances are the dragons will come back for their own. I don’t think any poachers will get them.” Bayzog stretched out his fingers and ran them over the dragon scales and wings. “They are such magnificent creatures. It’s hard to believe they can be evil.”
“Get yer heads down!” Brenwar yelled.
Zip!
Something hit Bayzog and spun him to the ground.
“Bayzog!” Sasha yelled. A hail of arrows followed.
Zip! Zip! Zip! Zip! Zip!
Beads of energy showered everyone in a hail that came from the distance. Everyone was cut and scraped up already, but these magic missiles took things to another level.
“Get us some cover, wizards!” Brenwar yelled. “Return fire, boy!”
“Where?” Ben said.
Brenwar pointed toward the mountains where the light was flashing.
“That way!”
Ben unslung an exploding arrow, nocked it, and let it loose. It sailed through the sky in what seemed to take an age then disappeared into the ground.
Brenwar stormed back at Ben and said, “You got to be a dragon to fire those! Gimme that!” He spun Ben around, snatched another exploding arrow, stuck the tip in the grey scale’s wet mouth, and handed it to Ben. The arrow tip glowed like fire.
“Stop staring and shoot it!”
Ben let the shaft fly.
A bright flash of light and the sound of an explosion followed.
Zip! Zip! Zip! Zip!
A green wave of missiles ripped into them. The sound of a thunderclap followed. A bolt streaked down from the sky and knocked Brenwar clear out of his boots.
Head ringing, bones aching, Ben crawled up on his knees.
“Brenwar! Bayzog!”
He couldn’t hear himself yell. One of their horses darted by him, knocking him back down. Smoke was everywhere. When he looked up again, he was at the center of a circle of spears. They were held by lizard men.
CHAPTER 23
“Circle Nath!” Brenwar ordered above the commotion. He stood tall for a dwarf, waving his war hammer back and forth. “Wizards, what are you doing?”
“Can you move?
” Sasha said to Bayzog.
“I’m all right,” he said, taking her hand. “It’s you I’m worried about. Just get us over to Brenwar.” He got up, wincing and clutching his side. His robes had burning holes in them. Whatever had attacked them had rocked them, and he wasn’t sure where he was. There was smoke everywhere, and it burned his eyes. “Brenwar?”
“Get over here, wizards,” Brenwar said. “Hurry!”
They stumbled through the smoke and almost ran right into Brenwar.
“Where’s Ben?” Sasha said. “Ben!”
Bayzog didn’t know who had hit them, but he could feel their energy now. It was dark and powerful. It had hurt him. Rattled him. He fine-tuned his thoughts and found something.
“They’re not after us,” he said. “They’re after Nath.”
“Who’s after Nath?” Brenwar said.
An unnatural breeze started, bowing the grass and pushing away the smoke. The horse Nath’s stretcher was harnessed to nickered and whined. The smoke cleared, and Sasha gasped.
They were surrounded.
A group of lizard men had Ben pinned down.
“I’ll be,” Brenwar said.
There were men in robes with rings on their bald heads, well over a dozen lizard men, and some with grey scalers on leashes. Two satyrs―one male, one female―stood with their arms crossed over their chests in front of a really big man wearing a metal bull head.
Bayzog felt Sasha wrap her arm around him and squeeze him tight.
Their attackers weren’t here to bargain. They were here to take.
“What do you want?” Brenwar said. “And make it quick. I’ve got things to do.”
No one said a thing. Instead they all stood ready, glowering. Ben struggled in his bonds and tried to say something, but he was gagged. A lizard man held Akron. Something snorted behind them. They all jumped around.
“Where in Narnum did you come from?” Brenwar said with wide eyes.
The dwarf looked startled, and Sasha was distraught.
A tiny woman sat atop a wingless bronze dragon with a long, black tail. She was pretty, with a long strand of white hair flowing from her head. The rest of her head was tattooed like Kryzak’s. Her dark robes were sleeveless, and she had a gentle demeanor about her, but her bright eyes were penetrating and evil.
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