by Joseph Lallo
“I thought I heard something. Splashing water. Anyone else hear that?”
Athos nodded as he appeared at Breslin’s side. “More nixies?”
Suddenly a small object floated to the surface. Did the nixies have something else to tell them?
Tristofer was delighted.
“It’s a book! It’s one of my books! How wonderful!”
More objects surfaced. Whatever force the nixies had been using to hold Tristofer’s pilfered possessions underwater had now decided to let go. All of his items bobbed to the surface.
“I’d get them now, while you can,” Breslin told the scholar. “Wait too long and they all may sink.”
“But that means I’ll have to get... to get...”
“Wet,” Breslin finished for him. He clapped a friendly hand on the scholar’s shoulder and tried to conceal his smile. “Better hurry.”
With a muted curse, Tristofer stripped off his jacket and hurried into the water. He made it about five paces when the ground disappeared and he plopped straight down into the lake. Sputtering, cursing, and floundering as much as a recently caught fish that had been dropped on the ground, Tristofer managed to collect his belongings and dump them on the shore.
“What now?” the sodden scholar asked. “It’ll be hours before everything is dry.”
“We don’t have time for that,” Breslin informed him. “Just stow everything back in that jacket of yours and let’s continue on.”
****
For several hours they tromped through the forest, heading north. Lukas, steadfastly against returning home, hadn’t uttered a word as he followed his uncle and the rest of the group. Hands shoved deep in his pockets, the underling deliberately walked slower than his father, causing Venk to constantly check behind him to verify that his son was keeping up. Lukas wasn’t ready to return to the valley yet. There had to be something they were missing, something that would help them find this special dragon. Was the jewel it was holding the same type of gem that was on the surface of the hammer? If so, that would suggest that maybe they were looking for pieces of some type of mechanical device. Maybe Tristofer was right and the gem acted like a power source. Maybe if they returned to the glade and searched a little harder they could find some type of clue.
WHAM!
Lukas, with his head up and his eyes lost in the clouds high overhead, walked right into his stationary father. The impact was so strong that he had knocked himself dizzy and ended up collapsing to the ground.
“You really concern me sometimes, boy,” Venk quietly told his son as he lifted Lukas back to his feet. “Were you daydreaming? Watching the clouds? What was it this time?”
“Nothing.”
“Clearly, or else you could have seen that we have all stopped.”
“Why are we stopped?”
“Because we want to ask you something.”
“Really? Now? What do you want to know?”
“Do you feel that we’re missing something?”
Lukas stared at his father in shock. Had his father been reading his thoughts?
“W-what? Why do you say that? Do you think we’re missing something, too?”
Surprisingly, Venk nodded, along with the other three adults. Shocked, amazed, and quite confused, Lukas stared at the faces staring back at him.
“What’s going on? What are you all staring at me?”
Breslin approached and knelt down on one knee.
“Tell me, young master, what are we looking for?”
“A two-headed dragon,” Lukas hesitantly answered, unsure where this was going.
“Right, I know that. But what are we off to do right now? What are we looking for?”
“A dragon, so that we can ask it if it knows anything about the creature that showed up on my back.”
Breslin nodded and smiled. If only all underlings were as bright and intelligent as this one.
“Exactly. Now, what would you say if I told you that a dragon just sought us out?”
“What? There’s a dragon here? Where? How did they know to come?”
“Let’s go find out, shall we?”
“Where is it? How do you know where it is?”
Venk sighed. “You really need to pay more attention to what is going on around you. We heard the dragon fly by just moments ago, which is why we’ve stopped. Dragons can move in stealth when they want to, which means this one wanted us to know it was here. So, I say we should go make contact.”
“And if it’s a dragon that wants to make us its lunch?” Tristofer asked. “What then?”
“Then you’d better hope you can outrun the person you’re standing next to.”
The dwarves peered cautiously through the safety of the trees and out towards the open grassland that edged Zylan River. This particular river, the dwarves knew, stretched all the way to the great Sea of Koralis from the furthest western shores. Wide, flat, and very slow moving, the river was just over a mile wide at its broadest and narrowed to a few hundred feet at its slimmest. Unfortunately, this area was where the river forked off and the second branch angled southwest. As such, it would be a mighty long swim if they were to attempt to cross it. Fortunately, the creature sitting on the southern riverbank directly between the dwarves and the river caused them to dismiss any thoughts of a crossing.
“We meet again.”
The group of dwarves edged out from behind the trees and ventured out into the open. A large, familiar blood red dragon with purple flanged wings met their eyes. Breslin approached the dragon and bowed.
“Greetings, Rhamalli. To what do we owe this pleasure?”
The dragon lowered its head down to ground level so that he could converse with the dwarf eye to eye. Unfortunately, this put the dragon’s enormous horns less than twenty feet away from the dwarf.
“You’re the one that wanted to speak with a dragon, land dweller. Here I stand before you. What do you wish to know?”
Surprised, Breslin looked back at his companions. How had the dragon known that they needed its help? Athos returned his gaze and shrugged. Venk held up both hands as if to say that he had nothing to do with the dragon’s presence. Tristofer was cowering behind Athos.
“How did you know we needed to consult a dragon?” Breslin asked. “Have you been spying on us?”
Every Lentarian knew, including the dwarves, that a dragon’s aural capabilities were only exceeded by its impressive visual abilities. A dragon could not only spot prey from great heights, but it could hear everything in the surrounding environment, too. Rhamalli could have been several miles away and would have still been able to watch and listen in on their conversation with the nixies.
The great red dragon went silent. Whether it was an indication it had been caught eavesdropping or else the dragon thought it beneath it to have even tried, no one could say.
“Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere else?” Venk asked, curious. Didn’t the dragon tell them that they were on their way to hunt the great serpent in the eastern sea? What would make a dragon abandon its brethren and instead spy on a small group of dwarves?
“I never made it to the hunt,” Rhamalli admitted, correctly guessing what the dwarf was thinking. “I turned back before the sea was in sight.”
“Why?” Lukas wanted to know.
Two slitted reptilian eyes focused on the underling.
“Because of you, young dwarf.”
Venk automatically grabbed Lukas’ shirt and tugged him backwards a few feet while he and his brother stepped around the boy to shield him from the dragon’s gaze.
“Fear not,” Rhamalli told them. “I am here at the request of the Dragon Lord.”
“What’s the Dragon Lord’s interest in our quest?” Breslin asked suspiciously. “We aren’t doing anything that should have attracted his attention.”
“Think of it as a favor,” Rhamalli explained.
“A favor to whom?” Breslin wanted to know.
“My father asked him to keep an eye on us, didn’t he?”
Rhamalli came very close to smiling.
“That’s just great,” Breslin grumped. “Over nine hundred years old I am and yet he still treats me like a child who’s unable to fend for himself.”
The rest of the group managed to keep their smiles concealed.
“Show him the mark, Lukas,” Venk instructed.
Lukas hoisted up his jerkin and presented his back to the dragon. Rhamalli lowered his thick long neck and gazed at the Questor’s Mark. His two massive horns protruding out the top of his cranial ridge came disconcertingly close to Lukas’ skin. As soon as Rhamalli’s eyes saw the newly revealed illustration of the two-headed dragon, it jerked his head up and regarded the band of dwarves.
“It’s a Zweigelan.”
“A what?”
“A Zweigelan. You have no doubt noticed the two heads,” Rhamalli explained. Everyone, including Tristofer, crowded close to Lukas so they could all hear Rhamalli’s explanation of the unique dragon. “They are independent and allegiant to no one. Highly territorial, they are known to accost travelers entering their domain and make their victims solve puzzles or riddles. A successful answer results in the traveler going about their business. An incorrect answer results in the forfeiture of all their belongings.”
“What would a dragon need with all the various items folk typically carry around with them?” Venk wondered aloud.
The dragon shook its great red head. “Unknown. They collect any number of things. Because of this, their nests tend to be massive.”
“So this Zwei... zwei... Two Heads collects things,” Athos observed. “One of these beasties must have the gem we need in its nest, only we don’t know which one.”
“Do you know where we can find one?” Venk asked, hopeful. “Is there a Zweigelan nearby?”
“I know not.”
Breslin sighed. “That’s not very encouraging.”
“Yes it is,” Tristofer countered. The scholar took a moment to collect himself. He finally turned to face the dragon. “How many Zweigelans are there?”
Rhamalli was silent as he relayed the question to the wyverian Collective chattering away in his mind. After a few moments he had an answer.
“Three.”
“Where?”
Another silence.
“Two reside in Ylani.”
“We have no time to search Lentari’s northern neighbor,” Breslin told the dragon. “What about the third?”
“The third lives here, in Lentari.”
The group looked excitedly amongst themselves.
“Where, exactly?” Breslin wanted to know.
“Unknown.”
“Can you find out?”
“A moment, if you please.”
Rhamalli fell silent as he yet again conversed with the other members of his race. His large, silver eyes eventually closed and he became as still as a statue. After a few minutes of motionless silence, Breslin gently cleared his throat.
“Ahem-ahem.”
Rhamalli cracked an eye and regarded the dwarf.
“What’s going on?” Breslin asked. “Do they not know?”
“Not only do they not know,” Rhamalli told them, “but it seems we have created a massive debate. Everyone is arguing. Some feel the Zweigelan is hiding in the northern mountains. Others feel that perhaps it calls the Selekais home, here in the south. I personally feel that Rinbok Intherer views this as his opportunity to locate the Zweigelan once and for all and see to it that it knows every dragon answers to him.”
“How does this help us?” Venk asked.
Rhamalli smirked. “There are now dozens of dragons in the air, all searching.”
“For ol’ Two Heads?” Athos whistled appreciatively. “Nice.”
“While they are searching, what can you tell us about the gem its holding?” Venk asked as he pointed to his son’s back.
Rhamalli returned his attention to the boy’s back and noticed the jewel clutched tightly in the dragon’s left front claw.
“Either that’s an enormous jewel or else the gem has a unique shape.”
“What?”
“Observe the bottom of the claw. You can see the tiniest bit of a sharp point just below the lowest claw. Either it’s clutching the largest jewel known to exist or else it was drawn that way to emphasize the unique shape of the gem.”
The four adults stared intently at the gem clutched tightly in the dragon’s claw. Rhamalli was right. Visible as a tiny point on the underside of the claw was the bottom of the jewel. Was the gem that large or was there something else they were missing?
Becoming more and more comfortable with the friendly dragon, Tristofer approached and knocked his knuckles on Rhamalli’s front foreleg. Once he was sure he had the dragon’s attention, he pointed back at the Questor’s Mark.
“I have a theory. Dragons like treasure and jewels, right?”
Rhamalli was silent as he studied the scholar.
“Right?”
The great horned head slowly nodded.
“Excellent. Stay with me now.”
Rhamalli snorted derisively. “Twists and turns abound, but I’m managing to follow along.”
“Uh huh. Anyway, with regards to that gem, if it was shaped normally, we wouldn’t be seeing the bottom of it, right?”
Rhamalli nodded.
“Are there gems that large where a dragon could hold it like that?”
Rhamalli held out his front foreleg and opened his claw. Three dwarves could have easily sat on his open palm.
Tristofer nodded. “I’ll take that as a ‘no’. Therefore it must be as you said: a jewel with a unique shape. Of all the gems you’ve ever encountered, have you seen any with really unusual shapes?”
“I have not, but I will ask the others.” Rhamalli’s eyes closed as he relayed the question.
Breslin turned to the scholar. “Where are you going with this?”
“I think we may be looking for pieces of some type of Narian device.”
Lukas let his shirt fall back into place and smiled up at Tristofer. “That’s what I think, too!”
Tristofer grinned affectionately down at the youngster and nodded.
“A device to do what?” Athos wondered.
“We won’t know that until we have all the pieces.”
Breslin nodded. “It’s a plausible theory.”
“A jewel can come in other shapes and sizes,” Rhamalli’s deep voice informed them, startling them. “However, they are exceedingly rare and therefore highly coveted. History, hues, and shapes all contribute to their desirability.”
“Do you know anything about Nar?” Tristofer asked the dragon. Fifteen minutes ago he would never have believed he would be having a discussion with a dragon, let alone about Nar. “Have you ever seen a Narian gem?”
“I do not know much about Nar other than it was a city populated by dwarves. I have seen many jewels, dwarf, but whether or not any of them were Narian remains unknown.”
Rhamalli’s neck snapped up and quickly turned east. Athos was on his feet in a flash. By the time he had rolled to his feet, he was gripping his black axe tightly in both hands. Venk also leapt to his feet, pushing Lukas down with one hand while reaching for his crossbow with the other. Tristofer let out a cry of alarm and knelt down on the ground besides the cowering boy.
“What is it?” Athos whispered to the dragon. “What do you smell?”
“I smell nothing,” Rhamalli answered, still staring off to the east. “They think they found traces of the Zweigelan.”
“You’re kidding!” Venk exclaimed. “That was quick!”
Rhamalli finally turned his head to stare down at Venk.
“I don’t think you realize how many dragons are searching for the outcast. It was only a matter of time. I personally thought it would have been located
much sooner.”
“Remind me to never make the Dragon Lord angry,” Tristofer whispered to Lukas.
Lukas looked way up at Rhamall’s distant head and coughed to get his attention.
“Is the two-headed dragon nearby?”
Rhamalli turned to look down at the dwarf child. “As a dragon flies, aye. As a dwarf walks, no. Several leagues from the northern edge of the Selekai Mountains one of my brethren spotted a few burnt trees and several scorch marks on the ground.”
“Couldn’t have been caused by a renegade campfire?” Venk asked.
“Only if those responsible had a bite radius large enough to fell a tree.”
“Can you take us to it?”
“I can lead you to the place I was shown,” Rhamalli told them. “I have been instructed not to engage the Zweigelan. I am only to identify its lair. How the five of you plan to acquire this gem is beyond me. However, speaking on behalf of the Dragon Lord, we are intrigued.”
“Wonderful,” Athos grumbled.
It took the better part of a day and a half of solid traveling, over some of the hardest terrain any of the dwarves had ever encountered before they came across a small glade with several blackened trees. Also immediately apparent were the two large sections of earth devoid of any grass, plants, or vegetation. There were still a few traces of burnt grass around the edges of the scorch marks, but as they could all see, the grass was already beginning to reclaim the exposed earth. The dwarves all squatted down next to one of the bare patches and compared notes.
“Two marks, both of which are roughly the same size,” Breslin noted.
“Two heads, two blasts,” Athos remarked. “Makes sense.”
Venk turned to regard the trees. “Burnt trees to the south. I can see the beginnings of the mountains back there as well. I also see the downed trees Rhamalli mentioned. What do you think? Are we in the right area?”
Just then, Rhamalli flew over them, temporarily casting a huge shadow. The dwarves looked up in unison.
“Without a doubt,” the dragon’s voice said as it floated down to them.
“Can you see anything else up there?” Breslin called out in a loud voice.