Zemo, Sayrak, and Elandros held their breath as the vanguard passed below them. The riders had to move closer together as the road narrowed through the steep vertical cliffs of the summit.
“I have told my archers to spare the horses if they can,” whispered Elandros. “One can never tell when we might need them.”
Zemo nodded silently and watched the riders closely. So far, they did not appear to notice the modifications, and it was important that they did not. The trap required all of the Lanoirians to be in the summit at the same time. Otherwise the battle would get bloodier than anyone wanted. Neither the dwarves nor the elves were equipped to chase riders through the mountains.
Zemo watched the end of the column come into view. Sweat started to form on his face and his large nose began to itch. As he watched the last riders approach, he saw the torch flying out of the corner of his eye. Almost immediately, the sounds of a thousand dwarf hammers echoed through the pass. The riders looked around in alarm and the horses became skittish. Zemo concentrated on the last two rows of Lanoirians who had not crossed the trapped slab yet. The hammers continued their deafening song until the sound of sliding rock overpowered it.
It was the sliding of one slab at first and then it rose to a thundering roar as slabs all along the league of the trap crashed onto the road. Zemo watched as the last two rows of cavalry disappeared in a cloud of stone dust as the road beneath their horses disappeared into the pit.
Shouts and screams reverberated through the pass as the falling slabs crushed horses and riders alike. Chaos reigned throughout the summit as the Lanoirians tried to flee, but there was no room for them to maneuver.
Suddenly, the air came alive with a thousand songs as elven arrows filled the air. Bowstrings twanged repetitively as the elven archers swiftly sought out targets and dispatched them. Dwarven throwing axes whistled as they tumbled into the gorge and imbedded in the Lanoirian soldiers.
As suddenly as it started, the sounds of silence fell over the pass. Horses, still panicked, struggled to find safety. Eventually the horses calmed down, and the only sound was an occasional moan followed by the snap of an elven arrow speeding through the air. The Lanoirian cavalry that had been sent to Lanoir had ceased to exist.
Chapter 20
Blind Man’s Bluff
Kaz and Yorra glided through the moonless sky, the peaks of the Southern Mountains passing them by on both sides. Kaz led the way as he banked sharply into a narrow ravine, the walls closing in as the unicorn rapidly lost altitude. Kaz leveled off and flared his wings, his hooves dancing lightly on the moist bed of moss. The soft sounds of his footfalls echoed like thunder in the still night sky. Yorra followed seconds later, and the humans dismounted from the backs of the unicorns.
“Do you think she still lives here?” asked Alex. “We have not heard of her in close to twenty years.”
“Funny that you should ask that after we have traveled all the way here,” giggled Jenneva. “Why don’t we just go in and find out?”
Alex smiled sheepishly and nodded as he lit a torch. “I guess that was a foolish question,” he admitted. “I will go first.”
“Not a foolish question at all,” persisted Jenneva. “It was just a foolish time to ask it. I wonder if she will remember us?”
Alex didn’t respond as he led the way into the Cave of Winds where he and Jenneva had found the Sword of Heavens. It was shortly after the Collapse when they encountered Wyka, the Keeper of the Sword of Heavens. Alex laughed to himself as he remembered that trip so long ago. The dragon had suspected that Alex was a thief and had threatened to eat him. It was only their common bond with the Mage that had finally allowed them to become friends.
As Alex led the way deeper into the Cave of Winds, other memories were forced upon him. He scrunched his nose as the winds started assaulting him with the foul odor of the cave. He knew the smell would get worse as they progressed deeper into the cave. He also knew that the winds would get stronger. Jenneva tapped Alex on the shoulder and he stopped.
“This brings back memories,” giggled Jenneva as she held her hand for Alex to see. “Give me you sword.”
Alex saw the glow from Jenneva’s ring, and he nodded knowingly. He extinguished the torch and drew his sword. As he held the sword towards Jenneva, she cast a spell upon it. Instantly his sword glowed as bright as Jenneva’s ring.
“How quickly we have forgotten,” he smiled.
“Quickly?” chuckled Jenneva. “Tanya was just a baby when we were here last. Look at her now.”
“She has turned into a fine woman,” Alex nodded as he turned and started along the tunnel again.
A half hour later, the wind had become brutal. Alex grabbed Jenneva and turned into a tunnel running perpendicular to the main tunnel.
“Let’s rest for a moment,” Alex said. “I do not want to be exhausted when we reach the chamber. You can never tell what lies ahead.”
“It won’t be much farther,” commented Jenneva. “We stopped in this tunnel the last time, too.”
Alex looked at Jenneva and shook his head, “You have a great memory.”
“I have to,” she replied. “If I forgot spells that I didn’t use regularly, what good would I be? There is another cross tunnel just before Wyka’s chamber. We can hide there if things seem amiss. Let me fire protect you with a shield.”
Alex stood and waited while Jenneva cast a series of enchantments upon him. When he saw that she was finished, he led her back into the main tunnel and the roaring wind. A short time later, they halted by the last cross tunnel. Not far ahead was the huge form of a sleeping dragon, its head facing directly towards the tunnel. The dragon’s body rested on a large pile of shiny and tarnished metals. Alex laughed inwardly as he remembered looking through the pile on his last visit. Some items in the pile were very valuable, while others were fairly common items, like hinges and door bolts.
As Alex and Jenneva stood watching the dragon, one of its eyes opened and quickly closed again. Alex frowned when he noticed the upturned corners of the dragon’s mouth. He grabbed Jenneva and quickly pulled her into the cross tunnel, just as a roar of flame cascaded into the main tunnel.
“Stop that, Wyka!” shouted Alex. “Have you no manners?”
“Oh,” roared the dragon in response, “we have a thief who demands manners. Well, good manners would have dictated that you don’t sneak into someone’s home. That tunnel does not lead anywhere, you know. You might as well get this over with. Come out and I promise that I will toast you quickly.”
“Wyka,” shouted Jenneva, “it is Alex and Jenneva. Don’t you remember us?”
“How could I remember you?” snorted the dragon. “I can only eat a thief once, although more than once is an interesting proposition.”
“Enough, charcoal breath,” growled Alex. “Are you so quick to forget the initials that I carved on your back? Or do I need to teach you another lesson?”
“Hmm,” demurred the dragon. “I doubt any human could teach me a lesson. Carved did you say?”
“Yes, carved,” shouted Alex. “I would tell you to take a look for yourself, but we both know your weak spot now, don’t we?”
“Come point it out to me,” suggested Wyka. “Maybe that will jog my memory.”
Jenneva started laughing and Alex looked at her with concern. “What is so funny?” he frowned.
Jenneva shook her head with laughter and could not answer. Finally, she regained her composure and walked into the main tunnel. Alex raced after her, but Jenneva walked right up to the dragon’s head.
“Sorry, Wyka,” she laughed, “but we have little time for fun on this trip. We need your help.”
“Hmm,” sighed the dragon. “How did you know that I would not eat you?”
“There is no way that you could forget who we are,” explained Jenneva. “How many humans do you interact with that you do not eat?”
“Do you mean she was toying with us?” Alex asked with raised eyebrows.
�
�I could have been forgetful,” postulated the dragon. “You should not take such chances.”
“Dragons have excellent memories,” retorted Jenneva. “Besides, you have probably slept most of the last twenty years away.”
“I have slept a lot,” sighed Wyka. “The skies are always dark and not very friendly.”
“The skies overhead are beautiful and full of stars,” countered Jenneva. “You do need to get out more.”
“Really?” questioned Wyka. “You have found the Children of the Ancient Prophecy then?”
“We have,” grinned Jenneva, “and one of them needs your help.”
“My help?” echoed the dragon. “Why would my help be needed?”
“King Arik must kill Gorga,” answered Alex. “I do not know if he can do it alone.”
“Gorga,” repeated the dragon with obvious distaste. “That old grouch has never been a friend. Still, I do not countenance the murder of a dragon. Who is King Arik and why should I help him?”
“He is one of the Children of the Ancient Prophecy,” explained Jenneva. “He seeks the Dragons’ Onyx. The other dragons told him that he must kill Gorga.”
“So,” mused Wyka as she nodded her eyelids, “the Dragon Prophecy begins. I wondered when someone would get around to that. Did these other dragons call your friend anything special?”
“They call him Dragon Heart,” nodded Alex.
“I must go talk with these dragons,” Wyka decided after a pause. “I must be sure that they are right.”
“Are you afraid of Gorga?” asked Alex.
“Afraid?” blustered Wyka. “How dare you even think such a thing. I should roast you after all.”
“Fear is not always a bad thing,” countered Jenneva. “At times it is respectable. You do not need to impress me with your bravery. We have already seen it.”
Wyka rose and growled as her tail whipped through the large pile of treasure. “You leave me no room for fun, wizard,” snapped the dragon. “How can I act ferocious if you keep thinking good of me?”
“I won’t tell anyone,” giggled Jenneva. “Can you help Arik? I fear he is heading for serious trouble.”
“I am not sure what I can do to help him,” admitted the dragon. “If he is Dragon Heart, and if Gorga is the Wrong One, the battle must fall to the two of them. It is not something that I can do for him. If King Arik is not Dragon Heart, I am bound to protect my fellow dragons. Perhaps you would have been better off to let me sleep.”
“Do you know the dragons who dwell on Grakus?” asked Jenneva.
“I know all dragons,” answered Wyka. “It is not like there are thousands of us. Still, Gorga and I dwelled in a different Universe from the rest until the Collapse. I do not presume to be one of their fold. I will speak to them, although there is little I could do in any event.”
“Speed is important,” warned Alex. “King Arik is being lured to the Dark One by Gorga. We fear it is a trap. Will you leave right away?”
“No,” scowled the dragon. “Not before you climb up on my back and assure me that your initials have faded away. I do not want to be laughed at by my own people.”
“Laughed at?” smirked Alex. “Surely, they must have heard of me by now? You can claim that I let you get away with only small scars. They will be impressed with your fighting prowess.”
Wyka turned and shot flames within a pace of Alex’s feet. “Bah,” she growled as she ground her back against the cave wall. “I will tell them it is the scars of an infectious disease spread by humans. Maybe they will become fearful and eradicate your kind in self-defense. That would teach you a lesson.”
“They really are small marks,” giggled Jenneva. “I doubt anyone will see them.”
“If they do,” snarled the dragon, “I will hunt you down and eat you. Now be gone. I must prepare to visit my kin. I must look my best for such reunions.”
“Farewell, Wyka,” Alex said merrily as he bowed in mock reverence. “May your journey be fraught with numerous humans.”
Smoke curled from Wyka’s nostrils and Jenneva laughed.
“It will be a treat for you to fly without the Darkness for once,” Jenneva said. “Be aware though that portions of the world still exist under the Darkness. Grakus is one such area.”
* * *
Tashlan eased through the streets of Tagaret in a seemingly random manner. He checked the street behind himself often, always being careful to avoid being followed. Something was gnawing at his subconscious, but he could not detect what it was. He always felt as if he was being observed, but he never saw anyone when he looked. He also thought that people at the Royal Palace were treating him slightly different than they had been. He pushed the thought from his mind and turned the corner.
Several blocks later, Tashlan glanced back again before entering a boarding house. He walked up three flights of stairs and knocked on a door. When it was answered, he entered and closed the door behind him.
An hour later, when Tashlan was leaving the room at the boarding house, he felt the hair rise on the back of his neck. He also thought he heard someone moving swiftly down the stairs. His senses alert, Tashlan moved silently and cautiously, but he saw no sign of anyone suspicious. Upon exiting the building, Tashlan carefully scanned the street, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Chalking up his apprehension to an over active imagination, Tashlan left the area of the boarding house and continued to walk the streets of Tagaret in a random fashion.
An hour later, Tashlan looked behind him and stopped. He stared suspiciously at the man walking along the street and recognized him as one of the Knights of Alcea. Tashlan resumed walking and made a right at the next corner. He kept watching behind him and saw the Knight pass by the intersection.
“I need to calm down,” Tashlan muttered to himself. “When I begin to think that a blind man is following me, I am getting too suspicious.”
Tashlan continued his walk, stopping at a butcher shop, and a bakery. Each stop lasted about half an hour. Each time, Tashlan took great precautions to make sure that he was not being observed. The tingling sensation that he had been feeling all day disappeared. Although he continued with his random pattern of walking, Tashlan’s step was lighter after his suspicions fled.
So it was with great consternation that the Black Devil saw the blind man behind him again. While it could be a coincidence, Tashlan had to be sure. He stood staring at the blind man as he approached. The Knight used a cane to tap the ground before him and appeared to be in no hurry. Tashlan wondered if the Knight was truly blind. As the blind man approached, Tashlan stuck his leg out in front of the blind man. The Knight tripped and sprawled onto the street. Tashlan stepped over and pulled the man to his feet.
“I am sorry,” apologized the Black Devil. “Are you hurt?”
The Knight ran his hands over his cane to make sure that it had not broken in the fall. “I am fine,” the blind man said. “Thank you for helping me up.”
“It was the least I could do,” the Black Devil said pleasantly. “I am afraid that is was my fault that you tripped. I have seen you before. Aren’t you a Knight of Alcea?”
“Some call me that,” frowned the blind man. “I guess at one time I was. My fighting days are over, though. My name is Wylan.”
“My name is Tashlan,” the Black Devil introduced himself. “I still see you at the Royal Palace from time to time. Surely, you must have some position there to gain entry at will?”
“My fiancée works there,” replied Wylan. “She helps to distribute food. The soldiers do not seem to mind that I visit her and hang around. Do you work at the palace?”
“Me?” chuckled Tashlan with feigned shock. “No. I am just a visitor from afar. I do know some of the soldiers, though. They seem to be a friendly sort there.”
“Some of them,” frowned Wylan. “Others tend to make fun of me. I don’t spend much time around them. Lately, I have taken up walking. I walk all over the city for hours at a time. It is relaxing and gives me time to t
hink.”
“I did see you a couple of times today,” the Black Devil smiled thinly. “I thought perhaps you were lost.”
“No,” responded Wylan. “Some days I just can’t stand to be in the Royal Palace. My fiancée gets busy with things, and I feel like I am just hanging around and getting in the way. So I go for a walk. Most of the time it is just random wandering.”
“How do you ever find your way back?” inquired Tashlan. “Do you want me to escort you?”
“Oh, no,” Wylan shook his head. “That would be embarrassing. My fiancée used to escort me there, but that is when the snickers began. I quickly found that I could navigate by sounds and smells. I know each shop near the Royal Palace. They cannot laugh at me any more.”
“Would you care for a meal?” Tashlan asked as he began to see Wylan as an opportunity for information about the Royal Palace. “I am getting rather hungry and would pay for your meal just for the company.”
“That is a very generous offer,” smiled Wylan. “I would enjoy that very much, but I should get back to the Royal Palace. My fiancée has the second half of the day off and she has planned a picnic. I wouldn’t want to disappoint her. Perhaps another time?”
“I look forward to it,” Tashlan said. “I will look for you walking some day. Or perhaps I will find you at the palace.”
“Thank you,” nodded Wylan as he extended his cane and began walking towards the Royal Palace.
Wylan made it to the Royal Palace and went directly to Zackary Nolan’s office. The colonel invited him in and closed the door.
“You are back early,” commented the colonel. “Is there a problem?”
“Perhaps a problem,” answered Wylan, “or perhaps an opportunity. Tashlan tripped me today.”
“Tripped you?” questioned the colonel. “Do you mean that he discovered you following him?”
“No,” laughed Wylan, “I mean he physically tripped me. He stuck his foot out and caused me to fall. I believe he suspected that I might be following him and wanted to see if I was really blind.”
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