Dragon Hero

by C. L. Woodward

  To my surprise, that other necromancer didn’t cast a fireball, but rather set his blade ablaze and charged me. I shoved the guy I had a hold of toward his friend. The necromancer with the flaming sword tried to swing at me but, in the chaos his blade grazed his friend. The blow itself surely didn’t cause any serious injury but it set his robe on fire. I reached down and grabbed the burning man’s sword but stopped halfway to evade the fire-sword wielding necromancer. I got away clean, but my robe didn’t. Soon I was engulfed by a flaming robe as well.

  The filthy robes easily burst into flames. I felt no pain from the fire I recalled being hit by a fireball before, which hardly did more than knock me back. Maybe a piece of my armor protected me against fire as well as lightning. I wasn’t going to fully test that theory, though. I ripped apart the robes which were already brittle from being lit up and reached again for that sword. The necromancer staggered back and stared at me in fear. I lunged and drove the sword into him. He quickly dropped to join his dead allies. I then ended the misery of his engulfed friend.

  I turned back and saw Jerak and Clagmir finishing the last of the standing foes. By the time I reached them, their fight was practically over. I dropped the cheap sword and watched them. Once the last adversary fell to the ground, Clagmir raised his sword and cheered. Jerak lifted his mace and cheered as well. I shrugged, raised my fist and laughed.

  “Good work, you two!” Clagmir said cheerfully.

  Jerak jogged over, “You really knocked out that lich guy!”

  I smiled and shrugged, “Yeah, but I broke my short swords in the process.”

  Jerak tapped me on the back, “Hey! This place probably has all sorts of loot. You might find a better weapon here!”

  Clagmir shook his head, “Most items here are sealed away for a reason…” He took a few steps and stared at the fallen lich, “Jerak, if you find anything, let Blake handle it. It could be cursed.” Clagmir looked at me and grinned, “A lich isn’t an enemy to take lightly. I am impressed.”

  Jerak laughed as he wandered off, “Maybe Blake can be a paladin.”

  Clagmir laughed, “We could use him but, being what he is… it might not be possible.”

  Jerak scratched his head, “Because he is an offworlder?”

  Clagmir shook his head, “I was more referring to his inability to wield magic.” Jerak shrugged and looked inside a few stone chests.

  I walked over toward the altar and sat on the edge. “Ah, that reminds me…” I said to myself as I took out the contact stone.

  It took several tries to get Talestria to answer. “Blake? Oh, hey!” she answered in a cheerful tone. I stared at Clagmir who was kneeling down and praying.

  “Hey, Tale! How was your day?” I asked casually.

  She burped, “Oh, I am just eating lunch now. How are things going for you?” It was kind of funny how she lacked certain manners but it didn’t bother me.

  I smiled, “Oh, pretty uneventful. The three of us took out some undead and necromancers.” I laughed, “I also slayed a lich!”

  She laughed for a bit, “Wait… you’re serious?”

  Clagmir walked over, “Who are you talking to? Is that a contact stone?”

  I gave him a nod but kept talking to Talestria, “No, I am fine. The lich didn’t even leave a scratch.”

  Clagmir looked at me oddly, “I’ve never really seen any made that small. It must be made by someone skilled.”

  Talestria spoke, “Who is that?”

  I smiled, “Oh, that is Clagmir. He is a paladin.” Clagmir must have heard her voice. He smiled slyly, “Oh, you have a lady friend. What is her name?”

  I stared at him and then looked away, “Uh… Talestria…”

  Clagmir laughed, “No, really. What is her name? I am curious.” I stared at him and somehow he saw how serious I was. His smile dropped in a puzzled look, “Wait… are you serious?”

  I looked over toward Jerak who was halfway in a large stone container, “Jerak! Tell Clagmir the name of my girlfriend!”

  Jerak pulled himself out, “Huh? Talestria?” I turned back to Clagmir who was just trying to figure out if we were really pulling a prank on him.

  Jerak jogged back. We told Clagmir about meeting Talestria. Talestria even spoke with him a little but then ended the conversation so the contact stone could recharge. “I still don’t believe it” Clagmir said as he shook his head.

  Jerak tapped me, “Oh! Blake! I found something you might like!” He jogged toward the stone containers at the far wall. I followed him and he pointed to an open one.

  I peeked inside and saw a strange curved blade. The weapon’s handle was a little longer than a foot with a metal pummel at the bottom that would be good for bashing. The blade itself came out of one side and looked axe-like but it was crescent-shaped and, at the very top, curved back with a slight hook. It was thick enough to be used as an axe but sort of looked like the mutant offspring of an axe and sword/cimeter. There are several small runes on it but I had no clue what they meant.

  The weapon had a nice weight to it and appeared to be well made. I was sure such a finely made weapon would have been taken by now if it wasn’t cursed. Jerak smiled, “That is a neat axe! Lucky!”

  I laughed, “It is pretty cool, but I wish there was a sheath for it.

  Jerak shrugged, “I didn’t see anything like that in there. Oh!” he moved away toward a large, fancy-looking stone container. He kicked the side of the thing, “I can’t really open this. Wanna help me?” I stuffed the strange axe into the side of my belt and walked toward Jerak.

  It was really heavy but the two of us shoved off the heavy stone lid which hit the ground hard and cracked in half from the stress of the impact. Jerak looked inside and then back at me, “I think we found it!” I looked inside and had no doubt I was looking at part of the dragon armor! The greaves were made of the same silver-like material and were flawless. Each plate felt light-weight but strong enough to withstand anything. “Hey, try them on!” Jerak said.

  I lifted the greaves and looked back at Jerak, “Well, turn around.”

  It was weird putting on armored pants but they fit well. As soon as I took my first step in them I heard a voice, “Well done! The gauntlets are in the east!” I knew it was the Dragon Spirit; I kind of expected him to give me input.

  Clagmir walked over, “I never thought I would see that much of the dragon armor.”

  Jerak looked at me, “Now only one piece left!”

  The three of us left the temple after checking the necromancers for any money. Clagmir insisted we keep his share as a reward for the good work. We collected a good deal of money to put in our travel fund. Clagmir’s horse was happy to see its master and we were happy to breathe fresh air again. The dead giant sandpede smelled a little ripe in the desert sun, but we kind of got used to bad smells that day.

  We traveled out of the desert continuing even after nightfall. We figured compare to the giant sandpede, there was nothing to really fear in the desert. The journey back to Golashe was nice and boring. Clagmir started to believe that Talestria was my girlfriend and asked why we had been in that area in the first place. Jerak and I told some of the story but left out the part about stealing the boots and the fight with the elves.

  Clagmir left the group and told us he would be traveling to Trawlast which left Jerak and me to fend for ourselves. He was still a bit shocked that the infamous witch was my girlfriend. I guess it was rather funny. I was sad to see him go. There was still no sign of Bolam or Teltar when we returned to the same inn as before. I slept really well that night. It was nice to be able to sleep in the next day. Jerak and I relaxed all morning until Bolam and Teltar arrived.

  “We’re back!” Bolam said in a tired tone. Teltar gave us a casual wave and collapsed onto his bed. Bolam dropped his pack, “There is a bunch of drama between the elves and the dwarves now.”

  Teltar grunted, “It should blow over when the meddler becomes known.”

  Bolam nodded, “I do h
ope they find who started all this.” He looked over to us, “So how boring was it for you guys?”

  Jerak grinned, “Pretty boring!” I chuckled at Jerak’s bad poker face.

  Bolam began to unpack, “I’ve been thinking, we should depart tomorrow for the desert and…”

  Jerak interrupted, “Why do we need to go?”

  Bolam stared at him oddly, “Um… because we want to find all of the dragon armor.”

  Jerak walked over, “Naw, we don’t need to waste our time with that!” Bolam scratched his head and stared at Jerak. Jerak was trying to repress his grin and ended up breaking out with laughter, “We already got that piece!” I pulled the greaves out to show Bolam. His jaw dropped.

  Chapter 12

  Bolam was surprised that Jerak and I had accomplished the task already. He seemed a bit disappointed that he didn’t get to come along. He got over it quickly as he began to inspect the new piece of armor. The rest of the day, Jerak and I told them about meeting Clagmir, fighting a giant sandpede and killing necromancers. Teltar was only mildly interested-a nap interested him far more.

  “Blake, this new weapon of yours is quite interesting!” Bolam said as he referred to his large tome.

  Teltar stretched and sat up a little on his cot, “Oh… I know of that axe.”

  He laid back down to rest but Bolam interrupted, “What do you mean you know about it?”

  Teltar turned his head to face Bolam, “There is an old tale about a cursed axe made by a master weapon-smith for his son. I think his son was a solider for Trawlast. All I know is that the axe is known to cause betrayal.” Teltar then turned his head away and closed his eyes.

  I lifted a brow, “Wait, this axe turns people into traitors?”

  Teltar opened an eye, “Something like that, but I doubt some silly curse would taint you.”

  Bolam laughed, “I get the message, the axe is enchanted for power but it was somehow cursed so the wielder becomes enraged at the first sign of battle. The user will attack anyone nearby, regardless whether they are friend or foe.”

  I nodded and stared at the strange weapon, “So I guess that is how it creates traitors.”

  Bolam shrugged, “If the Dragon Armor doesn’t bother you, this won’t even be a problem.” I lifted the axe and admired its quality, “You think this can break magical shields?”

  Bolam rubbed the bridge of his nose between his eyes, “Well if you face another lich, this will be the right tool.” I moved the axe around and smiled. That sounded good to me.

  We departed Golashe early the next day. Everyone was packed up. Our supplies would be enough to get us there and to the next town. I, for once, was feeling excited. After this trip I would have the full set of armor and be done with my quest. I felt really secure in this armor. I was almost sad to get rid of it, but I didn’t want to keep the Dragon Spirit trapped any longer. He already saved my butt on more than one occasion and the least I could do was free him from his prison.

  “So, Bolam?” I asked while walking next to him.

  He stared back, “Yes?” I stared down at my armor, “So what are the things this armor is enchanted with?”

  Bolam smiled, “Oh! Let’s see… The helmet you already know about, um the boots give a boost of agility, the main piece protects from fire and earth magic, the greaves…”

  I interrupted, “Ah, no wonder when I was hit by a fireball, it didn’t do anything to me.”

  Bolam nodded, “Good to know it works, huh?”

  I laughed, “Yeah, really… so what about the greaves?” Bolam stared ahead on the road, “Those help against water magic.” I stared at my hands, “I wonder what the gauntlets will do…”

  The four of us hiked for three days through the dwarven lands and the northern desert. Jerak insisted on sparring with me every night. I was actually beating him almost half of the time which really boosted my confidence. I also made my daily calls to Talestria. The more I talk with her, the more I like her. Jerak, of course, taunts me with “Oh, Blakey Poo!” but was at least smart enough to taunt me when I was not talking to Talestria. I began to wonder what our fate would have been if Talestria hadn’t liked me… I did have a crazy girlfriend.

  “So Jerak, how much farther until we reach your home?” I asked the next day.

  Jerak yawned, “Oh…about three days, but we are not going to my village.”

  Bolam chimed in, “How come?”

  Jerak sighed, “I kind of made a promise not to return until I made a name for myself.”

  Teltar walked by us, “Well, is it alright if we go in and get supplies?”

  Jerak shrugged, “Sure, but don’t tell anyone I am around, especially my brother.”

  Bolam muttered under his breath but was loud enough to be heard, “There are two of you…”

  Jerak frowned, “No. My brother is a bit of a coward! He won’t go with me anywhere. He’d rather stay at home and hunt.”

  I turned toward Jerak, “Seems like he’d rather have a safe life.”

  Jerak shook his head, “Naw! He would travel if he knew the fame and stuff we were getting into. The git wouldn’t believe me though.”

  I sighed, “Well, you do stretch the truth at times.”

  Jerak glared at me and then laughed, “Hey, at least I am not Blakey Poo!” He gave me a mocking grin.

  I smiled back, “Whatever you say… Mr. Neighneigh.”

  Jerak’s jaw dropped, “How…how do you know that!?”

  I just laughed, “Magic.”

  Jerak scratched his head, “No, really… how do you even know that?”

  We could see the mountains to the east of the road. The sun started to drop behind us and the two moons were visible. I was still not used to seeing two moons in the sky. There were times I forgot that I was walking in a totally different world, but when I saw those moons, I was reminded that I was not home. I pulled out my contact stone and decided to give Talestria a call.

  “Blakey Poo?” Talestria asked though the contact stone.

  I stared up at the moon, “Hi… ever feel out of place?”

  She replied, “Huh? You know my answer to that.”

  I smiled, “Oh, sorry. I just mean…”

  She spoke in a serious tone, “What’s wrong? You sound upset.”

  I sighed, “Ah, just feeling a bit homesick.”

  Talestria was quiet for a moment and bridged the connection, “Aw… I never really felt homesick, but I can understand the pain you must feel being different from everyone else.”

  I chuckled a little, “Yeah… we are both kind of the same in that way.”

  Talestria giggled, “Yup! So don’t feel sad-now there are two of us!”

  I smiled, “Thank you Tales…”

  Talestria and I chatted well into the night. Afterwards, I found that the other guys just assumed I was taking the first watch and had already fallen asleep. There was a cool breeze coming down from the mountain eastward. Talestria’s words comforted me and got me thinking about her. I thought about the girls I had liked in the past and compared them to Talestria. The more I thought about her, the more I felt like she was the one. I chuckled to myself-I sounded just like those younger sort that get a crush and rush the relationship foolishly without really getting to know each other. Sad to say, I felt like one of them. I really hated to rush anything foolishly, but it was hard not to keep going… my train of thought was interrupted with a rustling sound.

  I popped on my helmet and grabbed my axe. My eyes had adjusted to the night sky, but I couldn’t figure out what is going on. The rest of the guys were sound asleep so it wasn’t one of them. I quietly walked toward the noises and then saw something small coming right at me. There was a loud ding as it bounced off my armor. I tightened my grip on my axe and moved in the direction that arrow had come from. To my surprise, I saw three figures move out.

  The three men had dark clothing with black masks. Each of them held a sword with blades blackened by coal or something. I held the axe with both ha
nds and charged one of them. His blade came at me but I swung as hard as I could to block it. Holy cow! The Shaden’s grip gave way toward him. The axe kept moving and eventually sunk into his flesh. I wondered if the axe itself had the cleaving power or if using a two handed weapon just had more power than dual short swords. The Shaden screamed and fell to the ground. Two more left.

  I felt something hit the side of my helmet which made me glad that I had this armor. I turned my body and thrust my weapon into that guy. The strange axe worked like a curved sword and went right into his chest. That Shaden fell forward and died almost instantly. I looked to see the other guy moving in, I attempted to pull out my axe but that hook at the end of the blade stuck inside the second Shaden. Crap…

  I let go of my stuck axe and jumped back. I fully expected to fall flat on my back but somehow I was a bit better on my feet than I thought I was. The last Shaden lunged toward me and struck my armor. I grabbed his wrist, quickly leaned and gave him a head butt. It was a contest of invincible helmet verses a shoddy black mask. Helmet won. The man fell back onto the ground. I grabbed my sword and finished both him and the first guy in quick succession. Jerak walked over, “Hey… I guess you took care of it.”

  I shrugged and reached for my axe, “Yeah, I guess I did.” The other guys sat up but quickly went back to sleep after knowing the situation had been handled.

  Jerak helped me get my axe free and move the bodies. We took a little hike around the camp to make sure nothing else was around then I retired for the night with Jerak taking my shift. As I rested my head on my bed roll, it hit me. I had kind of gotten over that feeling of killing someone. Granted, I had killed people that would have killed me or someone else. The idea of slaying someone innocent would still really bother me. These guys were armed and had tried to kill me. There was nothing wrong in defending myself and my friends. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

  The next morning came too quickly for me. I don’t think my brain woke up until we made our first stop to fill our wineskins with water. The road we were traveling was relatively flat for having a mountain southeast of us. I reached into my pouch and felt the contact stone out of habit. I didn’t need to bother her; I could wait until we made camp for the night. Bolam noticed my deliberation, “So how are things between you two?”