Dragon Hero

by C. L. Woodward

  I smiled, “Goodnight…”

  Clagmir woke Jerak and me in the morning. I was surprised I hadn’t been asked to take a watch, but it didn’t seem like anyone had to. My body felt significantly better. I was still not at one hundred percent, but at least I felt well enough for more traveling. The two paladins were already packed and on their horses. They each saluted Clagmir and rode off toward the west. Clagmir sipped some warm beverage from a metal cup and looked at us, “Well, are you two ready?”

  It didn’t take that long to reach the desert. It was already hot but the helmet gave me some cover and my armor didn’t trap any heat. Clagmir led the way on his horse. He didn’t seem to be bothered by the heateither. My explanation was that I had crazy armor. I wondered if his armor was enchanted. Jerak had his tongue hanging out of his mouth, “Aren’t you burning up?”

  Clagmir laughed, “When I was in my youth we had to march in full armor during the heat of the day. This is nothing!” I had to hand it to Clagmir; he was made of sterner stuff than most men.

  Jerak wiped sweat from his face, “Don’t paladins know some kind of magic?”

  Clagmir turned his head, “Are you suggesting that I have some aura that allows me to stay cool? Well, yes… I have cast something to ease the burden to travel… but for the sake of my horse.” Jerak and I looked at each other.

  As we traveled through the hot sands, I was thankful that these armored boots were comfortable. Clagmir stopped and lifted his hand. The two of us followed his signal to stop. I reached for my short swords. Clagmir pointed toward some rocks, “Quickly and quietly…” He led us toward the large rocks and jumped from his horse. He made the gesture to get down. The two of us crouched down and waited quietly. A moment later we saw a small group of lizard men.

  I held my breath-the creatures were quite huge. Clagmir held his position as we waited for the lizard men to pass by. There were four of them wearing simple loin cloths and few crude trinkets and carrying large spears. As we waited, I could only hear the sounds of their claws against the sand and my heart beating. They stopped near the rocks but thankfully, they kept moving further and further away. Once they passed out of view, we let out a sigh of relief.

  The three of us continued on our way. “There are three dangers in the northern desert,” Clagmir warned.

  I looked at him, “Lizard men and thirst? What is the other one?”

  Clagmir smiled, “You have the first two correct. While most lizard men are peaceful beings, there are plenty of rogue tribes that have no qualms about slaying outsiders.”

  Jerak spat on the ground, “So what is the third?”

  Clagmir smiled, “Sandpedes.”

  I looked at Jerak, “Sandpedes?”

  Jerak laughed, “Those are not a threat!”

  Clagmir smiled, “Oh, don’t underestimate them. I have heard stories of them stealing lizard men children.”

  Jerak shook his head, “But don’t they only come out at night?”

  Clagmir nodded, “Sure, but they are unpredictable and can be up to a foot wide.”

  I let out a sigh, “Are we going to be out here at night?”

  Clagmir shrugged, “We should reach the temple by sundown but I just want to give you men a heads-up on the dangers.”

  We traveled for hours and I began to wonder if we had enough water to make it there and back. The sun had already made its way to the westward mountains . It wouldn’t be long before it hid behind them. “Do you know how much farther it is?” I asked.

  Clagmir turned his head, “Don’t worry. We are not far.”

  Jerak laughed, “Scared of the sandpedes?”

  I shook my head, “Naw! Just curious.” Jerak laughed but since couldn’t bait me with his teasing, he gave up trying to annoy me.

  The sun was setting and we could already see our shadows stretch across the sand. Thankfully, we saw the temple. It looked a bit smaller than I expected. It might have stood about two stories tall and the top half looked more decorative than functional. “Let us get inside and rest before venturing down,” Clagmir suggested. So it was mostly underground… that made more sense. We walked a few more feet then the ground started to rumble. Clagmir’s horse started to freak out. Directly in front of us, a cloud of sand formed. Sand sprayed out in all directions as a massive light-colored something spewed out.

  The thing towered over us. It was several feet wide with dangling claws all over its side. The creature leaned down and still we had to look straight up to see it. The creature had two large black eyes and a set of pincers that could easier be bigger than us. Jerak shouted, “Oh, man!”

  Chapter 11

  “I thought sandpedes didn’t get this big!” I yelled. This thing was a monster! Clagmir took out his sword which lit on fire. I would have been surprised by that if there wasn’t a giant sandpede looking down at us. It didn’t take long before it decided we would make a tasty snack. The three of us scattered just in time to avoid the massive creature as it dove head first toward the sand. Clagmir jumped to his feet and charged the creature as the rest of the body quickly followed its head. He made a few swipes before the giant sandpedes went back into the sand.

  “I think we should rush into the temple…” Clagmir advised. We instantly agreed and charged toward the stone temple. Before long the ground started to rumble again. “Scatter!” Clagmir shouted. The sandpede shoot out from the ground in an explosion of sand. I fell back from the force and saw nothing but dust. When I was able to see, I pulled out my swords and jumped to my feet. The sandpede looked at its three separated prey. It picked Jerak. The creature leaned in and grabbed Jerak’s leg. Clagmir and I both charged in and slashed at the creature’s towering body.

  I stuck both my short swords into the soft body. Grey blood shot out of it when my swords sunk in. It wasn’t enough to do any real damage, but between my two blades and Clagmir’s fire sword the giant sandpede certainly felt our attack. It made a screeching sound and quickly retreated into the sand. Jerak was on the ground stunned. “That was crazy!” Jerak shouted as he took advantage of his freedom and moved away. None too soon, the chaos stopped and it was quiet.

  “I don’t think it is gone,” Clagmir said quietly. The temple was still a fair distance away. There was no telling when that thing would pop up next.

  Jerak looked around, “So what do we do?”

  Clagmir stared back at his horse which was swift and smart enough stay clear of the soft sands, “We can try to walk quietly and softly and hope it doesn’t take no…” The ground started to rumble again. The three of us split up and took off running toward the temple.

  The giant sandpede shot out of the ground and hit Clagmir straight on. Clagmir flew into the air and spun back down to the ground. The creature stopped and turned its head toward Clagmir. Jerak and I both charged the beast. The sandpede moved down and clamped onto Clagmir. I gritted my teeth and dashed toward the monster’s head. One of my blades pierced one of its eyes. The eyes seemed to be harder than the main body but it really felt that wound. In a fit of rage, the sandpede swung its giant pincers at me. It felt like a tree trunk-sized baseball bat using me as a ball.

  The wind was knocked out of me when I landed face down on the sand. I coughed out something I hoped wasn’t blood and wished my helmet hadn’t been on when I coughed. My head was spinning and it took me a moment to register what happened. Shortly after my brain caught up, I turned my body just to see up close on how ugly the giant sandpede was!

  Its pincers held me tightly as it lifted me up high into the air. I could see a large row of sharp teeth behind the pincers. I tried moving around but the creature was obviously stronger than me. I had a free hand but my weapons were down in the sand. The only positive thing was that the creature couldn’t crush me in my armor. “Blake!” Jerak shouted. I could hear his voice but wasn’t in a position to see him. The creature reared back causing me to hang upside down. Jerak attacked the sandpede and caught its attention.

  “Hey, ugly! You d
on’t like that, do you!?” Jerak taunted. The giant sandpede held onto me but was annoyed with Jerak. To my surprise, the creature swung its head toward Jerak with me still in its grasp. Jerak shouted something as he got hit. The giant sandpede opened its pincers slightly so it could rotate me and try again to break me apart for a meal. This time it was the right angle and I could really feel the pressure. Not good!

  I took several breaths and felt frustrated because I couldn’t budge. I can’t die… I thought, we’ve gotten so far. We were almost there and I had finally fallen for someone. Talestria… the thought of her learning of my demise… Something came over me. My chest started to burn and soon my entire body filled with the burning. A current of energy flowed through me. I clenched my teeth and grabbed the inside of the pincers. I took one deep breath and let out a loud war cry as I managed to shove the pincers apart, just enough for my body to break free.

  My body hit the ground hard, but I only suffered a little pain. I could still feel the heat flowing out of me. In the distance I saw one of my short swords, partially buried in the sand. I dashed toward it, rolled to avoid a strike from the giant sandpede and grabbed my blade. I got up in time to see the giant sandpede ready itself for another strike. This time it was my turn!

  It charged headfirst toward me. I gritted my teeth and rushed the enormous body. Its massive head barely passed me as I moved closer to it. I held my blade with both hands and shoved it deep into the beast’s torso. Grey blood sprayed me. I took a deep breath and released another war cry. I turned my body and held the blade tightly as I kept cutting around its girth. The creature flailed loudly and tried to retreat but I stayed strong and tilted my blade upward just enough that its attempt to withdraw only aided my strike. Soon the body was nearly cut in two and the top half fell to the sand with a loud thud.

  I pulled out the blade and sprinted toward the head which was still moving. I jumped on top of it and stabbed between the eyes of the sandpede. After emitting a high-pitched squeal, the creature ceased moving. I removed my sword and stared at the dead sandpede. My body was still burning but I was exhausted and out of breath. I dropped my blade and fell to my knees. Soon I was feeling really faint.

  “Blake?” a voice called to me. I opened my eyes and saw Clagmir and Jerak looking down at me. “You have been out of it for an hour now. How are you feeling?” Clagmir asked.

  I smiled, “Is everything okay?”

  He stared at me, “What?”

  I took a few deep breaths, “Is everything alright?”

  Clagmir smiled, “We are fine. You surprised me young man.”

  Jerak chimed in, “You really beat that thing hard!”

  I laughed, “So, what is going on now?”

  We camped in the entryway of the temple. We propped the large stone doors slightly open so we could keep a small fire going just inside. The room was rather simple. A large stairway led down to the heart of the temple, but it was closed off by a large stone door. We feasted on giant sandpede meat which was a little chewy, but not that bad. None of our injuries were serious-a pulled muscle here and a bruise there. Clagmir healed Jerak’s wounds and then his own. “We will rest here for the night and I’ll leave my horse inside tomorrow morning. We will tackle what is inside,” Clagmir directed as he tried to boil water for his tea. I laid back and closed my eyes. Tomorrow would be a big day.

  I woke up feeling sore and tired. The cold air inside the temple wasn’t something I expected. Clagmir was in a meditating position at the base of the stairs that led down into the sub-floors of the temple. “Clagmir, you think your horse will be alright in here?” asked Jerak, who was already walking around.

  Clagmir nodded, “My horse will be fine. He is out of the desert sun and quite safe.” I stretched and put my armor back on. “Blake… I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” Clagmir quietly said as he slowly stood up. He looked at me, “I saw what you did fighting that giant beast…”

  Jerak chimed in, “Oh, that was the Dragon Spirit!”

  Clagmir shook his head and sighed, “So he controls you?”

  I looked at Jerak and back at Clagmir, “Actually, this time it was different.” I took several deep breaths, “I… felt scared… not just for myself but…”

  Clagmir put his hand on my shoulder, “So that was your will, huh?”

  I gave him a nod and stared at the stone floor, “I was in full control, just overwhelmed with rage.”

  Jerak started to pick at his ear, “Didn’t you say you were scared?”

  Clagmir smiled, “It sounds like to me you had more of an overwhelming urge to protect others than pure rage.” Clagmir gave me a grin and nodded to Jerak, “Let’s gear up!”

  We left our packs with the horse and prepared for battle. Then the three of us pried open the heavy stone doors. “It is dark,” Jerak whispered.

  I chuckled, “Thank you captain obvious.” The two of them looked back at me. I just shrugged. Clagmir sighed and soon his shield started to glow.

  Jerak and I looked at each other as Clagmir took the lead down the stairs. Jerak whispered to me, “I didn’t know his shield could do that, did you?” I shrugged and just followed.

  “Keep quiet and try not to touch anything,” Clagmir instructed as we climbed down into a dark hallway. The air wasn’t as stuffy as I expected but it was still very dusty. Past the stairs we reached a long hallway with rows of empty stone shelves. That wasn’t a good thing. Clagmir took out his sword as he saw why.

  I had never really seen the undead in action. I was not sure if those ghouls I saw so many weeks ago were actually undead or some freaky race.I was certain what I saw now were undead. Four skeletons that stood taller than the three of us walked toward us. Judging by the shape of their skulls as well as their claws and tails I concluded that they were lizard men. “Oh, man” Jerak gasped-he had never seen them either. Clagmir charged straight into them. We saw a clash of bones breaking as he smacked them with his shield. Clagmir’s fiery sword cleaved through another skeleton with ease. He took a step back to get his breath and then made another advance. The last two skeletons fell just as easily.

  Clagmir took several deep breaths, “It seems the rumor of the necromancers’ presence is true.” Jerak and I looked at each other. Clagmir nodded at us, said, “Stay sharp,” and took the lead again. I followed him, looking at the broken remains of the undead as I passed. I was so glad he was on our side. Jerak followed behind me and appeared to be as impressed as I was.

  The three of us traveled down the long hall toward a large room. “Shhh!” Clagmir whispered as he blocked our path. He crouched down low and Jerak and I mimicked him. “Look down there…” Clagmir whispered. In the large room down the stairs, there stood several figures in dark robes. The room itself had stairways leading down either side. At the bottom were at least six necromancers and several skeletons that stood lifelessly beside them. I bit my lower lip and tried to form a plan, but Clagmir stood up and shouted, “By the Celestial Fist! I will end you!”

  Clagmir had already charged down the stairs. Jerak raised his mace and followed him. “Dude…” I muttered. I was hoping we would at least come up with some form of plan. I sighed deeply and moved down the stairs with my two blades ready. This was going to suck… I just knew it.

  The first thing that came in my way was a lizard man skeleton. I swung at it with each weapon. The skeleton didn’t even attempt to block or move. My first swing scraped bone but the second hit was hard enough to break off two bones in the spine. Soon the skull and some neck bones came right off and the rest of the body went limp. That was easier than I expected. My little victory was halted as a bright light shot right at me.

  A bolt of lightning had been fired by one of the necromancers and had bounced off my helmet. I froze for a moment in surprise and looked back. The necromancer stood there staring at me surprised that his spell didn’t work. He drew a sword and snarled at me. I moved in and, with my left short sword, shoved his sword aside. My other blade thrust
right into him. His body leaned forward and soon fell lifeless. I heaved him off my blade and readied myself for more.

  Two skeletons charged me at once. They raised their boney claws and swiped at me. Even though my armor was keeping their claws at bay, I could feel the strength behind their attacks. I countered with a stab which did nothing to either skeleton. I had to make a mental note that I was not fighting something made of flesh and blood. I groaned at my own stupidity and hacked into the side of the skeleton. The blade made a clean break at the torso and the top half of the body fell right off.

  I parried the second skeleton’s claws with my left blade and made a punch with the pummel of my right sword. I broke a few dry ribs but the skeleton didn’t even appear fazed. The other hand of the skeleton swung at me. I leaned back but still felt it strike the side of my helmet. I was so thankful of this armor! I punched with my left hand at the base of its skull, which broke off part of the jaw and made a cracking sound at the base. It helped that I was holding a solid object which made that hit much more damaging.

  From a distance, a few bits of bone fell at my side. I didn’t know how Clagmir did it, but his shield just shattered those skeletons as if they were made of thin ice. Jerak came into view and splintered a skull with his mace. He grinned, “Fighting skeletons is great!”

  I smiled but saw two more dark figures moving down the right side of the room from the stairs. “I got it!” I said as I charged towards the stairs.

  The two necromancers started to chant loudly as their hands began to glow dark purple. Before I could reach them, a dark smoky beam shot from their glowing hands directly toward me. I saw little purple flames hit me but felt nothing. One necromancer’s eyes went wide as he saw me still moving toward him. I wasn’t sure what he did next, but it was too late for him. My blade sank deep into his torso. He shrieked before he fell over the side of the stairs.