Dragon's Keep: The Complete Dracengard Series

by Christopher Vale

  “You will not believe what this jackass is charging us,” he said to everyone in general.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Vidar said. “We just need to get you on the other side of the river.”

  After a few moments the ferry was ready. The ferry master waved at them to board. Willem did so, doing his best to hide his face. They were still in Elophborne and he did not wish to be recognized. The ferry master stayed ashore and walked away into his house gripping his three pince tightly.

  Once aboard the boat, they turned and waved goodbye to the elophim. “Thank you!” Terrwyn shouted as the crew started to push the boat out into the river. They used long poles to push their way across. Three crew stood on either side of the boat and the pilot stood at the front, calling directions.

  Once the ferry reached the center of the river Terrwyn saw the elophim walk away into the forest. The three were on their own once again. Willem watched the crew. Then he noticed one of the crewmen on the right side looked familiar. He stood and walked over to him. The crewman saw him approaching and turned his head away, but not before Willem realized who it was.

  Willem quickly drew his sword. “It’s a trap!” he shouted. Dillan drew his sword and cutlass and Terrwyn drew her dagger. The three huddled together.

  “Help!” Terrwyn shouted, hoping the elophim were still within earshot.

  The crew turned to face them, confirming Willem’s fears. He knew these men. All of these men. They were soldiers of Elophborne. But the soldiers did not move into attack.

  “Easy lad,” Willem heard and spun to look at the pilot who had turned around to face them.

  “Uncle Hansel?” Willem said. “What are you doing here?”

  “It is okay Willem. We are here to help you.”

  “How did you know where to find us?” Willem demanded.

  “It does not take a genius to determine that you would want to cross the river. There aren’t too many places to do that. So I volunteered to guard the ferry. Your mother was pleased to give me the assignment, as she knew I would not harm you, and assumed I would bring you back to her safely.”

  “Is that your intention? To return us to the castle?”

  “No,” Lord Hansel said. “We are here to escort you to Dracengard.” He then nodded to his men who began rowing again, pushing them to the other side of the river.

  Willem sheathed his weapon, but Dillan and Terrwyn did not. Willem walked over to his uncle and embraced him. “I am so glad to see you Uncle,” he said as he fought back tears of relief. He did not want any of them to see him cry.

  “It is alright, lad. Everything will be alright,” Hansel said as he patted his nephew on the back. Willem pulled away and looked at Hansel.

  “What news?”

  “Your brother will be crowned king if you do not return. Word is that the Wizard himself is coming down from Avonvale. Your brother will be expected to kneel down and swear fealty to him. Since you took the Dracenstone, he will certainly be angry. But taking Elophborne without a fight should soften the blow a bit.”

  “We will retake it.”

  “Yes, we shall take the three of you to Dracengard and then figure out a way to expel the draks and traitors.”

  “You and your men are not coming with us,” Willem said.

  “What?”

  “I need you to stay here. I need someone I trust to watch over my family and to help sabotage the Wizard’s plans.”

  “But Willem, it is not safe out there alone.”

  “I am not alone. I have Dillan and Terrwyn with me,” he said.

  “You know what I mean,” Hansel replied. “We are coming with you.”

  “This is not a request Lord Hansel—it is a command. You are my uncle and I respect you immensely, but I am the rightful heir to the throne and you shall obey my commands. You are to return to Elwood. Tell my mother that you never saw us. You will watch over Elophborne until I return. You must find those still loyal as we will need their support when we retake the kingdom.” Hansel nodded.

  The ferry made its way to the other side of the river. The crew pushed the boat up to the dock and Terrwyn and Dillan hurried off. Willem hugged his uncle once again. “Take care of yourself, lad,” Hansel said.

  “Take care of Elophborne, Uncle,” Willem responded before stepping off of the ferry and onto the dock. He turned and watched as the ferry pushed off and made its way back across the river.

  Chapter 10

  Lady Anne was exhausted, but not as much so as her horse Isabella. The stable hands were tending to the palfrey—washing, brushing, and feeding her and Anne was ready for a bath and something to eat as well. Unfortunately for her, that would have to wait. The Wizard would want a report.

  She found him strolling through the gardens. The Queen had been meticulous about the gardens and, after her death, Terrwyn ensured that their perfection was maintained. Anne found the Wizard strolling along pebbled paths admiring the white blooms of lilies which floated in artificial ponds. Bees buzzed in and out of the yellow honey suckle blooms that covered the wall behind him.

  The Wizard was dressed in flowing ivory robes of silk and looked very much like a Priest of Avalon. Though a priest’s robe would be white, perfectly white, the similarities amused Anne. After all, Anne knew of no man the priests would stand more opposed to than the Wizard.

  He heard her approaching as her riding boots crunched on the pebbles and turned to see her. A smile flashed across his face when he recognized her. When she was but a yard or two from him, she stopped and curtsied deeply. “Rise my dear,” he said and Anne stood. “Did you complete the task?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” she said.

  The Wizard offered her his arm, which she accepted, and they began to walk through the gardens. “Tamesis,” the Wizard said. “When we are in private, you may call me by my name.”

  “Thank you, Tamesis,” Anne responded and laid her head against his arm.

  “You poisoned him with the powder as I instructed?”

  “Yes. Everyone believed it was simply a weak heart.”

  “Good.”

  “But I did more than that,” she said proudly.

  “What?”

  “I killed Theron’s eldest son, Auguston,” she said as she smiled up at him.

  “How?”

  “I slit his throat with a dagger.”

  The Wizard stopped. His eyes flashed with anger. “Why did you do that?” he demanded.

  Anne’s eyes widened. “I thought you would be pleased,” she stammered.

  “Pleased?” he asked angrily as he grabbed her arm. “Now they will know it was you,” he said. “I wanted them to believe the story you had told them. I was going to use you to lead them right into a trap and destroy their entire force. They would no longer be a threat and I could consider Avonvale secured. I cannot spare troops to guard Avonvale when I am marching on the White Fortress!”

  “I’m sorry,” she said as she looked down at his hand on her arm. He was twisting it. She looked back up to see a sneer on his face. “You are hurting me,” she shouted as tears welled in her eyes.

  “Am I?” he asked as he twisted harder.

  Anne thought quickly hoping to salvage the situation. “I know how we can fix this,” she said. “I know how we can send someone even more believable than I.”

  “Who?” demanded the Wizard.

  “Theron’s daughter, Sephene.”

  “And she will do this?”

  “I can trick her,” Anne said.

  The Wizard released his grip and smiled at her. “Very good, my dear.” He looked at the red palm print which had burned into her soft white flesh and then leaned down and kissed it. “Let us discuss your plan,” he said. “As well as the Greynault plan to defeat us, their troop strength, et cetera.” She took his arm again, though timidly, and he led her down the path past rows of lilacs with beautiful purple blooms.

  ***

  Sir Terrance had served Morgan’s father and now served Morgan.
He was completely loyal to Morgan and now that Morgan was King, Sir Terrance’s position was considerably elevated. King Morgan had rewarded his loyalty by naming him Commander of the City Guard, and that was no small position. He was responsible for keeping the peace throughout the city of Avonvale. Still, he would feel much better about everything once the draks were gone. He did not like them and they frightened his men terribly. There was also much rumbling throughout the citizenry of Avonvale regarding the draks. Most commoners did not really care whose royal buttocks sat upon the throne as long as the King was not overly tyrannical or corrupt so as to negatively affect them and the economy hummed along well enough that they had bread to eat and mash to drink. But the presence of the draks stirred up the people. It was a double edged sword actually. On the one hand, the people were terrified of the draks and, therefore, did not want to cause trouble as it might draw the monsters’ attention. On the other hand, the people saw King Morgan and his men, such as Sir Terrance and the city guard, as collaborators with the drakmere, a species that not only oppressed the people, but also ate them. It turned the soldiers still loyal to Alexandeon, some of which survived and were in hiding, into folk heroes. That made things difficult for the city guard.

  Sir Terrance stood on the wall of the castle leaning forward against the parapet looking out over the city. He felt good knowing that he was in charge of keeping the peace. It made him feel powerful. This was his city. He puffed out his chest a little as he surveyed things. Now if they could just get those damn draks to leave, everything would be fine and the city would begin to return to normal.

  Suddenly, Sir Terrance heard something land on the wall behind him, like it had dropped from the sky. A big something. He spun and could not believe what he was looking at. He knew what it appeared to be, an angel, but that was impossible—wasn’t it?

  Aura landed on the castle wall prepared for battle. She wore a short, white, sleeveless dress which fell to about mid thigh. Over the dress, she wore a silver breast plate that shimmered brightly in the sun light. Golden sandals adorned her feet with straps that circled in criss-cross patterns up her calves until secured just below the knee. Silver bracelets protected her wrists and a silver headband encircled her golden hair which was woven into a braid down the back of her neck. She landed with a sword in each hand, the blade of each having been forged of the purest light. She lifted her head to look at the human who stood before her as her great white wings spread out regally.

  The human appeared to be someone of importance. He stood on the wall surveying the city as if he commanded it. He wore brigandine armor—overlapping steel plates—covered with dark red velvet, embroidered with gold thread. A long, red cape draped his shoulders clasped below his neck with the head of a golden eagle. Upon his head sat a golden helmet without a visor, the crest of which was molded into the shape of an eagle’s head. Aura had landed behind him on the castle walls and he immediately spun to face her, but upon seeing her he stood dumbfounded, staring at her like a simpleton—his eyes blank, his mouth agape.

  “Are you the ruler of this city?” Aura asked, but Sir Terrance did not respond. “Do you speak?” she asked after an uncomfortable pause.

  “P-pardon?” Sir Terrance stuttered, still staring in disbelief at the angel in front of him.

  “You do speak,” Aura observed. “That is good. Are you the ruler of this city?” she asked again.

  “No, m’Lady, I am Commander of the City Guard,” he answered. “Are you an angel?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she answered without hesitation or further explanation. “The Commander of the City Guard should know where I might find Erec Valestead. Do you or do you not?”

  “Do I or do I not what?” he asked.

  She stared at him. What did Alaric see in these humans? Here was a personage of high importance, Commander of the City Guard, and he was clearly of feeble mind. She could only imagine the mental capacity of the common man. “Do you know where Erec Valestead is being kept?”

  “The Prince?” he asked. What would this angel want with Prince Erec.

  “Yes,” Aura responded nodding. At last, she appeared to be getting somewhere with the human.

  Sir Terrance shook his head. “What do you want with him?”

  “That is none of your concern,” she snapped. “Where is he?”

  Sir Terrance’s hand went to the hilt of his sword, but before his fingers had even closed around it he felt the tip of the angel’s blade against his throat. “I have no reason to kill you, human,” she said. “If you do not give me one, you may live to see the morrow.” Sir Terrance removed his hand from his sword hilt. “Now, where is Erec Valestead?”

  “I don’t know for sure, but if he is in Avonvale, I would imagine he is in the dungeon.”

  “Where is the dungeon?” she asked.

  Sir Terrance pointed down to the ground. “Down there,” he said. “Below the castle.”

  “And how do I get down there, below the castle?” she asked.

  Sir Terrance pointed past her to the gates of the castle’s inner wall. “Through there,” he said.

  “Thank you,” Aura said and removed the blade from his throat. Just as she did so she noticed two men dressed similarly to Sir Terrance carrying long lances and running along the wall toward her.

  “Halt in the name of the King!” one of the men shouted as each lowered his lance to point directly at Aura. Aura did not so much as glance at Sir Terrance before moving so quickly that she appeared to be nothing more than a blur, cutting the two guardsmen down, their lifeless bodies falling at her feet. Sir Terrance did not move, but simply stared at her as she stood over the fallen guards. She stole a quick glance back at him before flapping her wings, propelling herself from the outer wall and across the courtyard in the blink of an eye to land before the open gate of the inner wall. Sir Terrance breathed a sigh of relief as his back slid down the parapet until he sat upon the stone of the top of the wall. He knew he had almost died. He had never seen anything like that before. He was amazed that angels were real and realized that since they were, if she had truly come to save Prince Erec, that he appeared to be on the wrong side in this war.

  Two drakmere stood guard at the gate. When Aura landed in front of them they shrieked in horror, but before they could move to fight or flee she leapt forward and cut them down. She stepped inside the castle. A group of armed men stood not far from her. She stared at them.

  “Where is the dungeon?” she asked.

  ***

  The Wizard stood in the castle war room with Morgan and Rayfen staring at a large map of the Kingdom of Avonvale, which was spread out on a table. He was sharing the information Lady Anne had gleaned from her encounter with the forces of Greynault and deciding how best to destroy them. He wanted Greynault’s armies completely wiped out so as to not pose any threat whatsoever. He completely ruled in Beagonia. The Stromland had very little left of anyone to stand against him and Elophborne had agreed to submit to him in order to prevent war and to keep the ruling family upon the throne. That left only four kingdoms to subdue. None of which posed a major threat except for Caerwynspire. Thus, he wanted to ensure that Avonvale was secure before turning his attention to the White Fortress.

  General Rayfen was ready to abandon Avonvale to march on Caerwynspire. He cared little of the politics of the lower kingdoms and was not concerned if Morgan retained the throne or not. “Destroy the White Fortress,” he always said, “And the rest shall bow to your will.” But the other kingdoms could reinforce and supply the White Fortress. Further, the Wizard did not want a unified army marching on his rear while he invaded Caerwynspire. And, of course, if the Wizard were unable to take the White Fortress, the other kingdoms would unify to crush him. It was best to subdue the major powers of the south before marching on the White Fortress and once the forces of Greynault were wiped out there would be none to challenge his rule in Avonvale. Morgan would do what he was told as long as he retained the throne, especially if his little sis
ter were wed to the Wizard.

  “Lady Anne encountered the Greynault cavalry here,” the Wizard said pointing to a location on the map west of the city. “Their plan, before she killed Theron and his son, was to travel south to meet up with the infantry here,” he continued and pointed to another spot on the map south of the city. “From there, they intended to go to Elophborne. I imagine the next in the chain of command will still rendezvous with the infantry, but I am not sure what they will do after that.”

  “They will likely still head for Elophborne,” Morgan said. “Anne killing Theron and Auguston does not change that.”

  “Perhaps,” the Wizard said. “But I find it equally likely that they will return to Greynault now that they know Anne was working for me. They will deduce that you have joined me and will likely fear for Greynault.”

  “You have a plan?” Morgan asked.

  “Actually, the plan is your sister’s.”

  Suddenly the three heard the shrieks of drakmere and shouts from Morgan’s men. They stopped, puzzled and stared at the door for just a moment before it burst open and a shaken and terrified soldier hurried inside.

  “What is going on?” the Wizard demanded.

  “It is an angel, Your Majesty! She is killing everyone!”

  “An angel?” asked Morgan.

  “Seraph!” Rayfen screeched before disappearing in a blur of black, knocking the soldier down to the hard floor as he passed.

  ***

  Erec sat on the stone floor next to his father, Alexandeon, who was lying on a bed of straw with nothing but a thin gray blanket covering him. Alexandeon was beginning to stink very badly and Erec tried to clean him with a wet cloth. Alexandeon kept questioning him over and over about his sisters, but Erec had already answered the same questions numerous times. He feared that his father’s mind had left him.