Phanes attacked Lailoken, catching the slayer by surprise.
“No! We must work together!”
His words rang out empty. The griffons had made up their mind. Grymryg had set them against him.
Phanes had pushed him to the ground. The other griffon lunged after Thibaut and Reinfrid yelled words of caution as he unleashed iron bolts.
The griffon’s massive paw smacked Lailoken’s face. Slashing white-hot heat covered his flesh and the griffon struck again. Claws dragged across his cheek. He felt the blood running down his skin. Struggling to free his sword, he tried to defend himself with his free hand. The griffon roared, deafening him. Then it snapped at him. He turned his head in time to avoid being bitten, the fetid stench of the beast’s breath, the sour odor of death, awaiting.
An iron bolt sunk into its shoulder and the griffon cried out. In its anger, it clawed at Lailoken with an intense fury. He felt the long talons sink into his chest, piercing his skin and digging.
Another bolt slammed into its back and the griffon shuddered as it howled in agony.
You deserve death, slayer! I will kill you all with my own claws! None of you shall live!
“I don’t want to harm you,” Lailoken managed to say. It was a great effort to speak with the weight of the creature on top of him and the searing pain of the gashes running across him.
Frendule must have cast a spell on him. Warmth enveloped him and his wounds were not as painful. He felt a burst of energy.
Lailoken pushed upwards into its chest and rolled to the side, avoiding the griffon’s attack. He leapt to his feet and held his sword with both hands.
“Phanes, stop this at once! The Drakku need you! Etain needs you!”
Reinfrid struck him again with a bolt to the chest. The griffon cried out.
“Reinfrid, no! We can keep them on our side. We have to show them the truth!”
The other griffon snarled and Lailoken chanced a look in its direction. Thibaut had been holding his own. Deep red gashes ran down the griffon’s limbs and chest. Blood spilled freely from the wounds like water. The slayer hobbled side to side, his injury from long ago affecting his ability to fight.
You are the cause of the Drakku’s destruction, slayer. I will not forget this. I will not ever allow you to forget the wrong you’ve inflicted on my kind.
Phanes snarled and swiped at the bolts stuck in its body. It tore free the one in its shoulder, pulling some of its flesh as well.
“Please see reason. Grymryg is using you to exact his vengeance. He doesn’t have the best interests of the Drakku at heart. We must unite against Myrthyd, the true enemy of us all.”
Lailoken’s body felt weak. Running from Grymryg and then fighting the Jade to facing the griffons. He had little left inside to continue on. The only chance he saw was to convince Phanes of the truth.
The other griffon tore at Thibaut, catching the slayer’s arm. The man cried out in agony.
“You will die!”
“No, Thibaut! We need them!”
Reinfrid shot another bolt, this time at the griffon attacking Thibaut. It slammed into its side, the bolt barely poking out from its hide. It roared again, bloody spit flying from its mouth. Thibaut went on the offensive, striking at it with his sword.
Phanes crashed into Lailoken, landing on top of him. He snarled and snapped jaws at the slayer.
Your death means everything to me. Grymryg rules the Drakku. Your precious Etain will no longer be free to continue her madness.
Lailoken held firm to the griffon’s shoulders, hoping to find some way out of this. Phanes still had a bolt lodged in its side from Reinfrid. Lailoken grabbed the bolt and yanked on it. Phanes howled and let up. Lailoken grasped the bolt and tugged, hoping to either pull it free or cause enough pain to force the griffon away. It was embedded in his muscle and wouldn’t let loose, but it did send enough pain to make him let go. Lailoken rolled to the side, distancing himself from Phanes. He rose to his knees.
“You have to stop this! I don’t want to kill you or your companion. I’m going to need you against the Gray Army! All of you are needed. Don’t you see what’s happening? There is something far worse than Etain coming for us all!”
Phanes stumbled, backing away from Lailoken. He swung his head from the slayer to Reinfrid, wary of another bolt from the crossbow. Thibaut and the other griffon were at a standstill, both bloody and tired.
“We must unite to end this threat! If we fight each other, the Gray Army will rule us all! Myrthyd’s madness must be stopped. We can’t do it without each other. Grymryg will never have enough to turn them back. As Drakku, you should know about the Gray Army!”
Phanes roared, the other griffon roaring her reply. Then he spoke to Lailoken.
You speak lies. Grymryg is powerful enough to repel any threat. Whatever this Gray Army is you speak of, it’s no concern of ours. You humans can deal with whatever problems you created. We don’t care.
“This is far larger than a problem for my people. It’s a threat to us all!”
Thibaut screamed out. “For Tregaron!”
Lailoken turned to him. The slayer hobbled his way toward the bloody griffon and slashed at her, knocking her shoulder and clipping her wing. The griffon roared and raised herself on her hind legs, swiping at him with her long talons.
“Thibaut, no!” Lailoken jumped to his feet and took two steps toward his old friend as Thibaut parried the griffon’s attack and slid a blade into her stomach.
Thibaut pushed until the point of his sword poked through her back. The griffon clawed at him, catching the side of his face, and tearing flesh off his cheek. Thibaut twisted the blade, the griffon howling wildly and striking out at him. She caught his head, and clamping on with both paws, roared and snapped at him. Her long teeth scraped his head, sending blood running down his face.
Everything seemed to move slower in time and Lailoken witnessed every detail with extreme clarity. He was vaguely aware of Phanes screaming at him, then lunging at him, clawing his back and knocking him to the ground.
A warmth spread over him, either from Frendule’s magic or blood spilling over him; he wasn’t sure.
There was a time when he would’ve murdered both griffons without a second thought. They were unique creatures, but still part of the Drakku. There was a time when he considered them horrid creatures worthy of death. They were the cause of their recent problems in Tregaron and their blood prized by the Magus was sought after at all costs.
Those times were gone after acquiring the Blood Stone.
Myrthyd’s devious plans made him reconsider his loyalty to a cause he barely understood. Living among the Drakku with Etain opened his mind to the possibility that they weren’t evil beasts, but partners working together for the same cause. Knowing his daughter was a halfling only hastened his resolve to view things differently.
Now was a time to preserve what he could of a terrible situation and begin to change the world he thought he knew.
Lailoken squirmed out from under Phanes, ignoring the claws ripping into him as best he could. The searing pain burned as each new mark tore into him.
“Stop this!” he called out. Phanes was all fury, growling and snapping at the slayer. Then Phanes yelped as though bitten. The griffon stumbled to the side and Lailoken used the opportunity to free himself and gain distance from him.
An iron bolt was wedged into his side, protruding from Phanes’ tan hide. Blood ran down the contours of his body.
“No! No more death! No more fighting each other,” Lailoken said weakly. His strength faded fast. The blood ran freely from his own wounds. He stumbled and fell to one knee, trying to force himself back up.
He turned to the other fight and it was over. The griffon’s snout was buried in Thibaut’s chest. It ripped his flesh and crunched the bones inside. His friend’s body convulsed but he didn’t fight back. “No…please…stop,” Lailoken said, but the words were faint. The griffon looked up a moment, its blood covered snout sniffing the air
as though catching the scent of more prey before delving back into Thibaut’s chest.
Phanes stumbled and fell to the ground. His wounds were dire. Reinfrid had punctured the griffon with at least five iron bolts and they had done their job.
You will die for your transgressions, slayer. I promise you, death awaits.
“Phanes, it didn’t have to be this way. I’ve realized my error. It’s time to unite.” Lailoken reached out toward the griffon as it closed its eyes and took one long breath before exhaling for the last time.
Lailoken fell to the ground, allowing the weakness to overcome him. He felt Frendule’s magic cover him and heard Reinfrid shouting something at the other griffon. He watched the man nock an iron bolt and shoot it. The griffon howled as the bolt found its mark. Then, realizing Phanes was dead, it jumped into the air, roaring as it circled them. It howled again and flew off screaming in pain.
Thirty-Three
Lailoken opened his eyes when he heard birds singing. At first, everything was bright. Have I died? he thought, not for the first time. Slowly his eyes regained focus and the bright nothingness morphed into bright blue cloudless skies. He turned his head and felt stabbing pain in his sides. He caught a glimpse of green treetops before the pain forced him back to his former position.
“The great slayer awakens.”
It was a man’s voice. Familiar, yet he couldn’t place it. Thibaut? Darlonn? Lailoken scrolled through names, none seeming quite right. Finally, two faces appeared in front of him.
“Reinfrid…Frendule…where are we? What happened?”
Reinfrid smiled. “You had quite the battle with a griffon three days ago. I’m proud to say I helped the great slayer live! How are you feeling?” The man extended his hand and Lailoken grasped it. “Go easy, Lailoken, you’re still weak, even after Frendule’s been working on you.”
Lailoken pulled himself up and staggered, the world around him spinning. “Easy now, it’ll take time for you to adjust.” Reinfrid propped him up and helped steady him.
“What happened? Where’s Thibaut?” The mention of his friend’s name brought back horrific images of a griffon ripping into him, blood and flesh torn apart. “By Meanos,” he whispered, nearly collapsing.
“We buried him soon after the attack.” Reinfrid nodded to the side. Lailoken followed his gaze to a freshly dug mound.
“We’ve been waiting for you to come around. Dragons and griffons have been flying overhead constantly. It feels like being back south!” Reinfrid smiled. Frendule chuckled, but it seemed forced.
“We have to get to Etain. All of this is wrong. We need to work with the Drakku. Myrthyd’s power is too much. What he plans to do affects us all, and he has no idea how destructive they are. All Drakku are in trouble.”
“Why does a former slayer care so much about the Drakku? Why not let them fight it out? Why involve yourself?”
Reinfrid helped Lailoken to a log to sit. Frendule brought him a mug of ale; from where, he didn’t know. He sipped, enjoying the taste as it slid down his throat.
“We aren’t in Tregaron, so it doesn’t matter what I say anyway.” Lailoken drank again and continued. “My daughter is a halfling. What Myrthyd intends on unleashing is a terrible creature called a night-wraith. These are dragon souls trapped within the Blood Stone. They have the ability to infest the dreams of halflings. From there—”
“The Blood Stone is dangerous to us all. Drakku and halflings get the worst, but consequences are dire for us. Bad times ahead. Bad times, indeed,” Frendule said, breaking his silence.
“The Magus speaks truth. The Blood Stone, the very gem I discovered in Dragonfire Peak, is an object of horrific power. When Myrthyd uses it to command the night-wraith, he commands them to devour halfling dreams.” He winced, an unseen injury screaming for his attention.
Reinfrid shrugged. “I have no problem with the Drakku or halflings. They’re commonplace from where I’m from. There’s two or three in Queen Pethunia’s court as we speak. How does devouring a dream harm anything?”
“When the night-wraith consumes it all, the halfling is turned into a gray-soul under Myrthyd’s total control.”
Reinfrid stroked his beard. “A gray-soul…” he said absently. “Frendule, we encountered some on the way here, didn’t we? What did Thibaut say about them?”
Frendule shook his head. “He called them bastard children of the Drakku. Half right, he was. Gray-souls are dead, but not. The Blood Stone allows them, the night-wraith makes them, Myrthyd controls them. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong!” The Magus threw his arms back into the air and muttered unintelligible words.
Lailoken paused as he was about to speak, allowing the pain to subside. “Where…where did you find the gray-souls? Were you here in the Dragon Lands?”
Reinfrid considered the question, stroking his beard before he spoke. “No,” he began slowly. “I think we were in the Dragonback Mountains, if my memory is correct. I thought we stumbled upon a bear at first, but then we saw the gray creature. It had been a woman at one time, but now was entirely gray with decaying skin and clumps of hair missing. Her rotten mouth was black as night. Thibaut urged us to move on. Frendule here wanted to study it. He kept mumbling about an ancient curse or some such thing.”
“From what I understand, the Magus is half-right. Still, they are a threat,” he paused, holding his side.
“Frendule, isn’t there anything else you can do for him?”
The Magus waved his hands, his stone glowing. Lailoken felt the power settle over him and the pain vanished, leaving only a faint remembrance of it.
“Thank you, Frendule,” Lailoken replied. He could sit upright but dared not push his luck and moved slowly.
“The gray-souls are coming. The Gray Army is amassing somewhere hidden within the mountains. Etain has asked me…” he paused again, though this time not from pain.
“Frendule—”
Lailoken held up a hand. “No, I’m fine. Just collecting my thoughts.”
The Magus nodded and returned to his incoherent muttering.
“Etain has asked me to lead an army to oppose the forces of Myrthyd.”
Reinfrid gasped. “The great slayer leading an army? Of what…dragons?”
Lailoken chuckled. “Yeah, I guess that about sums it up. I’m to lead human and Drakku alike. Myrthyd’s Gray Army must be stopped. My naiveté in giving him the Blood Stone and unleashing this curse compels me to fix the problem. The only solution I understood was to join with my former enemies against a force much more sinister than anything I could imagine.”
“Thibaut would be disappointed to know you turned sides. Truth be told, he wasn’t the smartest man I’ve ever encountered.”
Lailoken nodded. Thibaut had his moments, but Reinfrid wasn’t wrong. His old friend, now dead and buried nearby, was loyal to a fault. It was that loyalty which placed him in the dirt. There would be time to grieve, but now was not the time. The Gray Army waited for no one, and the longer they were allowed to build their ranks, the harder it would be to wipe them out.
“Reinfrid, come with me. Help me lead this army. You’re familiar with the Drakku. Maybe they’d trust you more than me. No one from Tregaron could possibly lead the Drakku without serious opposition. Your background and experience will come in handy.”
“What about your slayers…your friends? Jor, was it? She’s a fine warrior.”
A grin creased Lailoken’s face. “That, she is,” he said softly. “If I ever get the chance to meet up with her again, I’ll have to forgive her for trying to kill me.” He rubbed his chest where her sword pierced him.
“Kill you?” Reinfrid’s face twisted in puzzlement.
“It’s a long story. She’s not to blame, but if I know her, she believes she is. I’d certainly want her on my side, but when the Drakku see her and I attempting to lead them, how skeptical do you think they’ll be? At least with you at my side, they’ll recognize someone who doesn’t have a history of slaughtering them.”
/> “Other than that griffon, you mean?”
“Yeah.”
“If the remaining one tells of what happened here, your plan might not succeed.”
“Does that mean you will?”
Reinfrid sighed, stroking his beard. “It means you’ve convinced me a terrible plight is soon to come and if I ever want to see home again, I’d better do something about it.”
***
Two days later, after gaining his strength and daily healing spells from Frendule, Lailoken was ready to move. Etain was hidden away and he needed to find her first before they assembled their forces. There was much work to be done and time was growing shorter.
They left the camp and headed back to the west, avoiding the cavern where he witnessed Grymryg’s betrayal and Etain’s injury.
“What do you know of this land?” Reinfrid asked him. Frendule said little, often drifting away from them and inspecting plants he’d never seen before.
“It’s teeming with life. The Drakku fly freely throughout. There are very few human settlements, as far as I know. The time I spent here has been with the Drakku, and other than when they changed into human form, I’ve not seen any people.”
“There are a couple coastal towns to the north and west of us. I’ve visited before as a passenger on cargo ships from the south.”
Lailoken cocked his head to the side.
“What? I’m a curious man. I like to know things. I was interested in what trading towns in the Dragon Lands were like. Turns out not much different than our own. Maybe a few more dragons flying about, but nothing else.”
“Sounds like maybe we ought to visit them. Surely someone would have information about Etain. If nothing else, rumors persist and can be exchanged for the right amount of coin.”
“It might not be safe for our Magus friend, here. His kind is not welcome in these lands.”
“We’ll do something. I don’t know what yet, but we’ll figure it out.”
They watched Frendule wave his hands in the air and even though he was a good hundred feet away, they could see the stone glowing around his neck, imbued with the blood of a dragon, allowing him to channel his innate powers and amplify them to greatness.
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