Dragon Hero

by C. L. Woodward

  The man near me jogged over toward the other man, “This might be worth something!” They spoke to each other a little more and their voices grew dim. I exhaled a little and tried to make short breaths. After a few minutes I opened my eyes and saw that I was the only one in the place. Standing up was painful but, at least, it didn’t seem like I had broken anything. The armor really saved me that time… sadly they had it now.

  It was a miracle that they assumed I was dead and just stripped if off of me and left me here. It was another miracle that they left the rope hanging there! There was a massive pile of rubble around me and it made me worry about the other guys. They retreated in time so they must be alright. I wiped the dried blood from my face and stared at the rope. There were several knots in it but I knew it was still going to be hard to climb it.

  It took me several tries, but I managed to get to the surface. Thankfully, there wasn’t a whole group of Shadens waiting for me. My morale was at an all-time low. My body hurt all over, my head hurt, I didn’t have the armor anymore. I didn’t have anything other than some clothing and my contact stone. Man, I really missed Talestria. I looked around and saw a rough trail leading down a ways but was not sure how far down it went. The sun was setting and I was going to be out of daylight very soon. Before I could spend any more time feeling sorry for myself, I heard a sound moving up the trail in my direction.

  I ran behind a large rock and waited. A figure in black walked toward me. It was obviously a Shaden and seemed to be whistling. I crouched down when he got close and waited as he walked toward the opening of the cavern. He kneeled down and stared down in and spoke to himself, “Darn, there doesn’t seem to be anything down there worth looting. I might as well take the rope with me. Wait…” I knew in that instant he had noticed I wasn’t down there anymore.

  The man untied the robe and kept looking around down there. He was going to eventually figure out that I missing and alert others. I had to act fast. There was a good-sized rock near me. I slowly grabbed it and took a deep breath. The man bundled up the rope and whistled. He started to undo his belt and walk toward the rock that I was hiding behind.

  I held my breath and timed myself so I could move around the rock without him spotting me. I heard him stop to make his business out behind the rock. As soon as he finished up, I moved in and, with both hands, bashed the back of his head with the rock in my hands. The first blow knocked him face down but the second one confirmed it. After checking his pulse I started to take his clothes.

  The Shaden’s boots were a bit too snug on me but it was better than dirty socks. His pants and shirt were a bit dirty but didn’t smell nearly as bad as the old necromancer’s robe. The dead Shaden also carried a simple sword, its blade blackened from rubbing against something filthy. It was either a hand me down or the guy just didn’t take care of his weapon. The blade was dinged and chipped. It looked like it had been chucked down a rocky cliff. Still it was better than using a rock.

  The black mask reeked of sweat as I marched down the trail. There was no telling what I’d find further down. My body was still in pain and my mind was racked with anxiety. Were my friend alright? Would I be able to retrieve the Dragon Armor? Would the Shadens even buy my disguise? I walked past a turn and saw several lights a short distance below. There was the Shaden camp. I stopped to take a deep breath—here goes nothing.

  I could almost feel everyone at me as I walked into camp. It was really paranoia since no one seemed to care about my arrival. There were several tents and camp fires. I was surprised at the number of Shadens; there might be fifty of them here! I could see Torkuhl sitting at a fire a good distance away, eating and talking to a few higher ranking Shadens. Right next to him, I saw a large, white sack. I took a few more steps and could tell my armor was inside. There was no mistaking it; that was definitely my armor! A hand touched on my shoulder which nearly made me jump, “Hey!”

  I turned around and saw a man in a crude black mask, “Hey, novice! Go fetch me some more ale!” He shoved a large clay mug into me and pointed. I lowered my head and moved toward the three kegs stacked neatly next to each other. There were two other Shadens there, filling up their mugs. One acted like he had one too many. It was apparent that I was posing as a low level member which was good because they might not even know the guy that I was replacing. I filled up the mug and tried to remember who sent me out then returned it. This was going to be a long night.

  What an awful night, not only was I worried about my friends and having withdrawals from talking to Talestria, but I was spending it with a group of vile people that would kill me as soon as they found out who I was. Most of those who were partying ended up passed out only to wake up filled with regrets and headaches. Being a lowly novice, I was open to jokes and errands. The other lower class didn’t appear to care who I was. Though there were a few half-on masks, to allow eating and drinking without care, I was most thankful that everyone kept their masks on. It made hiding among them easier.

  The larger tent opened up and Deshra, dressed all in black clothing, marched out. Several gave him slight bowing of the head as he walked to his horse. Torkuhl gave him a nod but said nothing. Deshra had his mask on but I wouldn’t be surprised if he removed his costume as soon as he left the area. Deshra told Torkuhl something which made me want to sneak closer to listen in. I casually walked nearby, pretending to do something as I listened in.

  “I predict some foul up. Xum’gol wants us to move south past Halatross to add to his ranks,” Deshra said to Torkuhl.

  Torkuhl nodded, “It will be a glorious battle.”

  Deshra nodded, “Yes, the kind you strive for… Now, it will be best to make haste and rally the men at the base before heading south.”

  Torkuhl scratched his head, “Yes, boss. Do you think Xum’gol can be trusted?”

  Deshra looked away, “Oh, of course. He will reward us greatly for our aid.” I could tell Deshra was lying, but Torkuhl seemed a bit too simple-minded and gullible to think any more of it. Deshra mounted on his horse and looked down at the sack, “Torkuhl, I trust you will deliver this to the temple.”

  Torkuhl bowed his head, “You can rely on me!”

  Deshra nodded his head and rode out of camp alone.

  A part of me wanted to go after him, but how could I keep up with someone on horseback and not cause suspicion among the Shadens? I sat down and pondered how to achieve my goal. The armor was right next to Torkuhl and he didn’t appear to let anyone mess with it. From what I gathered, we would be heading to their base and then down to Xum’gol’s temple. Going there would be very bad for me. I had a feeling that Xum’gol might figure out who I was. Then I might end up in a big fight in which my chances of victory would be slim to none. What I needed to do was get the armor and maybe figure out where the temple was. If anything, I could free the Dragon Spirit and warn others in Vunash of Deshra and his plans with Xum’gol.

  Torkuhl took the sack with him to his tent. The idea of sneaking in and taking something as loud as a bag full of armor seemed doomed. I would surely just wake him up and end my life there. The only thing I could do was get some rest and hope that tomorrow would bring me better luck. I could only hope no one would bother me for the rest of the night.

  I woke up feeling almost as bad as I did yesterday. The wounds from yesterday still left me feeling weak and irritable. Torkuhl was taking care of a huge war horse that appeared to be the only animal around that could carry him. He carefully attached the sack to the back and hopped on. He let out one shout, “Get up! We leave now!” Everyone was either already awake and getting ready or quickly following his order. There were only a few other guys on horseback, but they appeared to be among the higher ranks. I put my borrowed boots on and saw that one of the Shaden had my axe!

  Traveling with these people really sucked. It wasn’t only that I was paranoid and trying to avoid any real contact, but most of these guys were just simply crude and subhuman. It did explain why they were part of a rogue ring. W
e marched out of the canyon and into the grasslands southward. At least, no one bothered talking to me, which helped me keep a low profile, but I ended up carrying a good deal of their junk.

  I went through a whole day hearing jokes that would make Jerak appear mature-crude, perverted stuff. There are times to when you are around such low-lives that your brain just has to shut itself off to prevent yourself from going mad. It was so tempting to just do something nasty to their stuff or take one out, but that would cause suspicion.

  That night I at least got a good bit of rest. Some of them stayed up talking about their raids and how they wanted to travel south to the farmlands and cause some chaos. I was so glad this group was ordered to their base as soon as possible so they wouldn’t have time to pursue their way of crime. I just didn’t want to be part of it and I thought I might end up blowing my cover in an effort to save someone. At least I can sleep a full night without keeping watch.

  Torkuhl woke everyone up again and ordered us to hurry up and move along. My body felt a bit better but I was still worried about Teltar, Bolam, and Jerak. I spent one of the most annoying days of my life, listening to idiot scumbags while traveling mindlessly toward the west while carrying more than my share of goods. I daydreamed about Talestria and my plans after reaching their secret hideout.

  We traveled through a bit of forest by evening and were pushed to keep going for a couple more hours. There was no real trail but I was sure Torkuhl and the other higher -ranking Shadens knew the way. My legs were killing me, and if I heard one more stupid joke I might have had to kill someone. I felt both relieved and nervous as we approached a large fort.

  The Shaden’s base is a large fort with high wooden walls and a few simple towers. It was hard to spot at night until you get close to it. A large wooden door opened up and allowed us in. Inside to the right was a simple barn, a wide short barracks and, up at the far end, a two-story structure that might house the higher-ranking members. To the left, there appeared to be more of a storehouse and a few places to sleep. In the middle, stood a large wooden platform and simple benches made of fallen logs. Torkuhl hopped off his horse, “Relax for the night. Tomorrow we will prepare for war!”

  Everyone spread out and went their different ways. I stood there a bit clueless but decided to walk toward Torkuhl. He and two of the higher-ranking Shadens walked toward the tall building in front of them. I carried my large pack toward them and causally walked a safe distance behind them. I just had to look like I was busy and keep a low profile.

  Torkuhl turned to look at me. I pretended I was just following orders and hauling stuff inside. He gave an obvious shrug and kept moving. There were so many Shadens here, there could be at least a hundred or more. Torkuhl and the other two walked inside the large building and disappeared from sight. I took a deep breath and walked in, as well.

  The inside almost looked like some kind of office. There were shelves of books and other things and crates filled with who knows what. Torkuhl walked down a short hall and dumped the sack of armor inside. He locked the door and walked right past me. I quickly moved out of his way and bowed my head to him. He just grunted and walked with the other two upstairs, “Now, this is what he wants us to do…”

  I looked around and saw that I was alone. The lock on the door seemed far more simple than locks back at home, but I had no skill in lock-picking nor did I have the tools. Breaking down the door would take a ton of effort and would easily grab the attention of my minotaur friend, and that will be the end of me. I dropped the pack by the door and felt defeated. There was no way I could get the armor now. Even if I somehow got it, it would take too long to put it on and I would still be in too much trouble.

  The Dragon Spirit didn’t give me any feedback. Either he was figuring how to do this, too or he was just sleeping. I could hear the sound of hooves moving back down the stairs. My heart stopped and I just dove into the room across from the locked room. There were several barrels and stacks of blankets. I hide behind some of the barrels and put a stack of blankets over me. The very moment I did that, I could hear Torkuhl’s voice, “That is why we are leaving first thing in the morning. He wants us there early to ambush anyone that tries to stop Xum’gol.” Torkuhl then walked into my room.

  I held my breath and could hear him getting closer, “I will tell the rest of the men in a little bit. You two go round up anyone sleeping to attend.” Torkuhl walked toward one of the barrels and muttered, “I forgot my lantern. Came here to get some oil for the big battle and forgot my lantern.” He sat something down and took a few steps away, “Ah, forget it. I’ll get a novice to do it for me.” Torkuhl then walked out of the room. My heart started to beat again and I waited until I could hear his heavy hooves make it outside the building before I peeked.

  So they were leaving in the morning to cause some damage to those that would try to stop Xum’gol… that meant they might attack Falstrid and the others! I needed get out of there and warn those guys. I took a deep sigh and tried to ponder for a bit. There was a small rolled up scroll on top of one of the barrels. Torkuhl left it there… I pulled it open and saw it was a map. Wait! I just knew the marker on it must be Xum’gol’s place! Now, I really needed to get out of there.

  I felt a sense of accomplishment that dwarfed my failure in retrieving the armor. The armor would eventually make its way down there. If I could give this map to Falstrid in Vunash, maybe he could form a force to take on Xum’gol and the Shadens. After that I could retrieve the armor without any trouble and free the Dragon Spirit. I smiled broadly as I thought about it. The only problem now was escaping.

  At that moment, Torkuhl would be giving his rally, so most of the guys would be busy, but what if they spotted me walking out the gate? There were guys there who could easily ride a horse and chase me down in no time. I could steal a horse but I had never ridden before, so they would just catch up anyways. What I really needed was a way to disable the other horses and then make a get away, but how…? Ah, I got it!

  I rolled out one of the barrels of oil. It was pretty heavy but I was able to lug it around with both arms. I quickly sat it by the outside door and tucked the map into my pants. Oil barrels and heavy blankets seemed like really stupid things to store in a wooden building. I took a deep breath and walked outside with the barrel of lamp oil.

  Everyone had just gathered around to listen to Torkuhl as I walked out in the shadows with my barrel of oil. I had a feeling some saw me, but I just casually acted as though that I were running an errand and no one was the wiser. The barn where I had seen the horses was at the far corner. Running straight through the large group of Shaden’s would just be a bit dumb, so I needed to find a better way to get there.

  There was a small gap between the wooden walls at the eastern barracks. I lugged the barrel until I made it behind the barracks. I sat the barrel down and took a deep breath. Now, what was my plan again? It looked as though I should have enough oil to pour between the barracks and the barn. I pulled out the lid of the barrel part way and walked it over to the barn. I tilted the barrel until the oil started to pour a trail from the barracks to the door of the barn.

  After making a good fire hazard, I dumped the empty barrel behind the barn and jogged back to get a second barrel. Torkuhl was still speaking to the men and getting them riled up. I was much too preoccupied to pay attention to what he was saying. With my junk sword I pried open the second barrel a crack and let it pour out as I carried it. The trail was just small enough so that no one would really notice. I smiled a little under my mask as I took the barrel behind the barracks. After getting out of view, I started to pour a thicker trail leading to the first trail I had made. Anything I had left over was splashed against the back wall of the barracks.

  Feeling both satisfied and yet sadistic, I decided to go get a third barrel to bring to the other building. Someone walked up as I heaved out the third barrel. My heart stopped. The man stood there, “What are you doing?”

  I took a deep breath and tilt
ed my head toward the last building, “I was ordered to bring this over there so…”

  The man shook his head, “Be careful, I think one of the barrels has a leak. We don’t want a fire!”

  I smiled, “Oh, I will be most careful!” The man grunted and walked up stairs. That was sure close! Now back to work!

  Now, I knew I would be pressing my luck if I took any longer. I moved quickly around the back of the building and could hear Torkuhl’s rally was over. There was no time to pour it all over the place so I just placed the lid on top of the barrel and ran toward the front gate. Now, the next part of my plan…

  I was going to open the door just enough for myself and a horse to get out, then set the whole place ablaze and flee like crazy! There was no one by the gate, and it wasn’t locked in the first place. It took no effort to open it a little so I could make an escape route. My heart was racing at the excitement of it all. This could either go really well or I’d fail miserably. My heart sank as I saw two Shadens walk into the barn.

  The two of them appeared to be assigned to take care of the horses. There were only a few horses, but there was enough dry hay to keep their stomachs full for days, and it was plenty to start a good fire. “What are you doing here?” one of the Shaden’s asked.

  I scratched the back of my head, “Sorry, uh, Torkuhl wanted me to bring his horse.”

  They looked at me, “He didn’t tell us.”

  I felt a bit stressed and just shrugged, “Look, I don’t question him. I just know he wants me to get it or he will break me in two.”

  The Shaden shook his head, “Alright! Don’t need to get snappy.”

  I took Torkuhl’s warhorse out and casually walked him outside the barn. Most of the men were retreating to the barracks. I waited until I knew it was safe enough to lead his horse outside the gate. I pet the warhorse and wrapped the straps around something on the gate. Now to start a fire.