Blood of the Dragon: An NA Epic Fantasy

by Warren, Samantha

  Seeing others in the area nod in approval, the king smiled and bowed again. "Well, thank you, anyway."

  Graol cleared his throat. "There is one thing that you may not be too happy about. Here at this camp, you will only be known as Alured, friend to the Gypsies. You will be treated with much respect, but no one will bow when you walk by or refer to you as 'Your Highness'."

  Alured laughed. Since he was a boy, he had longed to hear those words. "I have no problem with that. I simply want to help in any way I can and be part of a community that does not desire total power at the expense of others."

  "Then you should be quite content here." The old man smiled and led Alured and Apoph on a tour of the encampment, explaining some of the more important rules, the boundaries, and other interesting details. They discussed some of the duties the pair would be asked to perform in service of the camp and the payment they would receive in return. Apoph in particular loved this, as he never had to earn his keep before and he called it a "novel idea."

  After feasting with the leaders, including those of the refugees, the former king and his dragon returned to their new home. Apoph curled up on his feather bed, stroking a peacock feather a little girl had given him earlier in the day. It was the first gift he had been given as a free dragon and he cherished it beyond any of the expensive presents and offerings that he received over the years. Their accommodations were not as expansive as what they were used to in the palace, but they loved their home all the more for it. Alured's room was small, barely large enough for bed, dresser, and writing desk, but he felt happier there than he ever had in his cold, dark chambers at the castle.

  The Gypsy spy, whose real name was Khaili, remained by the former king's side, acting as both housekeeper and confidant. She was quite young, barely seventeen, and he developed a fatherly affection for her. Never having a child of his own, he looked upon her as a daughter, fear clenching his gut as he remembered what the girl had risked to free him and Apoph from the peril they were in. His love for her grew strong and deep when he heard of the death of her parents and siblings and her flight from the hands of his most feared commander.

  He watched with joy as her relationship with a young Gypsy developed and his heart leapt with pride as, four months later, the boy approached him, hands shaking, a sheepish grin on his young face. The love Alured felt as he pressed Khaili's hand into the young man's on their wedding day was like nothing he had ever experienced. It was just a small ceremony by the river, but he knew no greater joy.

  The camp-wide party that celebrated the union later in the evening was no small affair, however. The best chefs in the camp set to preparing the most elaborate meals imaginable. The celebration was greater than anything the former king had ever seen in the palace and Rona. Alured, gazing intently at his adopted daughter and her new husband, knew that all the gold and wealth he had possessed as king paled in comparison to the joy the woman sitting beside him felt, glowing brightly in her simple, unadorned veil and the beautifully stitched dress, given to her by a seamstress friend in the camp. There was more to life than jewels and power. Happiness came from good food and great friends.

  As he lay awake in his own bed that night, Alured felt a sense of great happiness, tinged with a new loneliness he had not expected. Never before had he felt so much a part of something. For most of his existence, he had dreaded the future. Now, as sleep slowly crept over him, he knew there was something more. He could not deny the battle that would have to be waged. As long as his sister and her sadistic military commander were in charge, he knew the people would never be safe. But for once in his life, he felt real hope for what was to come.

  Apoph sneaked off after seeing Khaili and her husband safely to their wagon. A celebration was planned at the dragon's camp, as well, though not for the former king's servant. Two of their own had found love and a separate ceremony was performed that evening after the humans had crawled to their beds. The leader of the dragons, a deep forest green creature with blue speckles on his wings, stood before the makeshift altar and began to speak.

  "I would like to thank you all for being with us on this special occasion, the joining of two souls into one. Apoph, Leucile, please bow your heads." For a brief time, the descendent of the cruelest dragon to walk the earth forgot about his sordid past and enjoyed the happiest night of his life.

  Chapter 23

  Bolgor slept soundly on the driver's seat, his head on Lana's shoulder. The horses plodded steadily down the road and Lana let the reins slacken. She slipped her arm around Bolgor and held him close, pressing her soft lips to his forehead. He smiled slightly, but did not open his eyes. He had been driving all night and he was exhausted, but they had had very little time alone together since that night by the lake and they were going to take this chance, even if it meant he had to doze while they did. Snuggling close to her best friend, Lana felt her eyes close drowsily and soon they were bumping along peacefully, dreaming of nicer times when they could share a happy moment alone in a more joyful climate.

  The sun was a mere sliver in the sky when the couple jerked awake in a moment of terror. The wagon was being jostled roughly on its wheels, the horses moving as fast as their short legs would carry them without breaking into a full run. Thick trees surrounded them on both sides and the path was narrowing quickly. Lana looked around frantically. The last thing she remembered was riding smoothly along on a well-worn path along the edge of a forest. This path was clearly not the same. It was rough, overgrown, and rarely used. She grabbed at the flapping reins, missing twice before she finally found purchase on the leather straps. Bolgor took them from her and pulled hard, bringing the horses to a stop after a brief struggle.

  Bellithana climbed out of the wagon in the back and came around to the front, a look of angry confusion marring her beautiful face. Lana and Bolgor bowed their heads shamefully, both turning a deep shade of red.

  "I fell asleep," offered Lana meekly.

  Belli grunted in irritation and looked around.

  "Do you know where we are?" she asked, and Lana opened her mouth to reply before she realized Belli was talking to Prigol, not her.

  "I see," Belli said after a brief moment of silence, consternation sitting heavily in her eyes. "This is not good. Not good at all."

  Both Lana and Bolgor kept their lips sealed tight, though they were worried and nervous at Belli's comment.

  "Thorny!" Bellithana's voice echoed eerily in the quiet wood as she yelled to the dragon.

  The group watched in dismay as the roof of the wagon lifted a couple feet before thudding heavily against the overhanging branches. Ychthorn pushed gently and reached his claws through the gap, trying to move the obstructions out of the way. The thick limbs would not budge and the lid could not be opened without causing major damage to the wagon. The dragon was effectively trapped and he moaned in despair. Belli glared at the lovers once more and sent them inside to explain the situation to Ychthorn. Lana hung her head as she told the dragon what happened. Bellithana came up the stairs to join the trio.

  "OK, here is the deal." She looked at them hard. "We are inside the Gelworth forest."

  Silence fell as their eyes grew wide. They knew about Gelworth forest. It was the home of the Hidden, and they did not take kindly to uninvited guests. The majority of the Hidden had left Gelworth forest and joined the rest of the world. They had been crucial to the creation of the Coalition of Man and Beast, and they were directly responsible for saving Ychthorn and many others. The Hidden had also been instrumental in many of the larger successes of the Secret Coalition.

  Those who chose to stay in the Gelworth forest were not the same Hidden, though. They preferred seclusion from the rest of the world and fought to keep their forest private. While not opposed to the Coalition of Man and Beast in principal, they were diametrically opposed to being a part of it. They did not approve of the first war and refused to participate, even going so far as to attack Hidden who returned to see their families after assisting the Co
alition of Man and Beast during the conflict.

  Prigol had been a member of the Gelworth forest Hidden, but he left the forest far behind as soon as he was of an age to travel on his own. He detested many of the community's more vile practices, even declaring them brutal and uncivilized. It was with great displeasure and an even greater fear that he found himself back in his home territory.

  Belli commanded Lana and Ychthorn to watch through the upstairs windows and dragged Bolgor downstairs with her. Being the more skilled driver of the two, he would be responsible for either turning the wagon around or backing the horses out, though they had no idea as to how far in they had come. Lana stood next to the dragon, bow nocked and ready with an arrow specially designed to pierce the barrier between the world of humans and Hidden. The wagon began slowly bouncing over the roots and shrubs that invaded the path. The two spare horses had been hitched to the rear of the wagon and were pulling forward as the horses in front inched backward.

  A harried shout from Bellithana warned them of an incoming attack and commanded Bolgor to keep the wagon moving. Their only chance for escape was to get the wagon back to the main road. It was still very warm in the south and Lana wore a simple cotton shirt that did not extend past her rib cage, leaving her midriff exposed. She leaned against Ychthorn, touching her bare skin to his exposed scales, communicating silently without tying up her hands.

  In mere moments, she saw a fireball blaze through the trees and engulf an unseen foe. As she watched the flames, Thorn instructed her to aim to the left of the blaze. Lana did as she was told and the arrow struck a solid object. The creature shimmered briefly in a humanoid shape before collapsing to the ground, the tip of the arrow bursting through unseen flesh as the Hidden landed on it with its full weight. Thorn congratulated Lana and directed her next attack. This one thudded into a tree and he corrected her angle before she fired again.

  Fireballs flew frantically along their left flank, coming from the unseen Bellithana at the front of the wagon. More shimmering shapes were engulfed in flames and fell thrashing to the ground. A shout from Bolgor at the back of the wagon was followed by quick footsteps along the roof and the fireballs continued on the right. Lana felt a sharp pain enter her side and cried out. Ychthorn whipped around, snapping at something and crushing it in his jaws. Lana watched as the creature flickered, its blood creating a barely visible, faintly glowing pool on the floor.

  The battle continued for another quarter of an hour, until Bolgor yelled again, this time in excitement. He could see the edge of the woods and the horses pulling the wagon sped up. The wagon shook dangerously, branches snapping as it crashed through the trees. Lana watched, relieved, as the shade of the forest was replaced by sunlight, and the flickering creatures faded back into the woods . Bolgor led the wagon into the field across from the treeline and stopped the horses. Lana ran downstairs as Ychthorn lifted the lid and flew out, finally freed. He flew guard circles as the humans gathered.

  The scene at the front of the wagon was unpleasant at best, heartbreaking at worst. One of the mares hitched to the rear of the wagon, Lola, had been stabbed deep in the shoulder. The Hidden's blade still shimmered in her flesh. The wound was devastating and there had been no time to tend it or stop the blood loss. By the time they had her unhitched, she was stumbling from loss of blood and her eyes were rolling uncontrollably. Bolgor led her away from the wagon a few feet before she collapsed. Taking Lana's sword, he plunged the shaft deep into her side, piercing her heart. Lola jerked twice, then lay still, staring at the rolling green hills, forever to rest among their beauty.

  Mitsy, the other horse hitched to the rear, had two non-fatal lacerations along her back and Bellithana patched them carefully. Prigol suffered from several gashes along his arms and back, but they would heal in time. Bolgor walked over to Lana and slipped his arm around her waist. She smiled up at him briefly, then her eyes rolled back into her head as she crumpled to the ground.

  Chelandra awoke hours later in her bed, the wagon bumping steadily along the well-worn path. Bolgor was asleep next to her, his head resting on a spare pillow as he sat in her wooden chair. His hand clenched hers tightly, as though he was afraid to lose her. She lifted the covers carefully, reluctant to wake the sleeping man. Her midsection had been wrapped heavily in cotton. She could feel something sticky on her side under the bandages and the area around the wound was numb.

  Bolgor stirred and looked up, concern sitting painfully in his eyes. Lana smiled and stroked his rough cheek; he hadn't shaved in weeks. He returned the smile and rose partially, leaning over to brush his lips gently against hers.

  "I thought I was going to lose you," he confessed. A tear glistened dangerously on the corner of his eye and she wiped it away with a soft finger.

  She opened her mouth to respond, but the door flew open and Ychthorn thrust his head through, grinning.

  "You're not dead yet, eh?" he quipped.

  Lana picked up the spare pillow and chucked it at the dragon's head. He laughed and pulled away before it could connect.

  "Dinner is ready whenever you two lovebirds are." He grinned again and pulled his head out, shutting the door behind him.

  Lana and Bolgor locked eyes briefly, then both of them blushed and looked away.

  "I'll go wait outside," he said, touching her cheek before he left.

  She sat up gingerly, fearing the pain that did not come. Slipping her feet over the edge of the bed, she found her slippers and slid them on. On a hook near the door, she grabbed a light silk robe, given to her by the leader of the Flametongue Settlement just before they left. She slid her arms into the holes and tied it tight. A mirror hung on the back of the door and she looked at her reflection. She was pale and her hair was a mess. She straightened herself as best she could and went to join her friends.

  Chapter 24

  Over the next few weeks, Chelandra's side healed steadily and itched constantly. She was repeatedly admonished by Bellithana for absently scratching at the wound and Belli had taken to coating the scabbed area with a nasty, gooey Gypsy creation designed to heal and provide moisture while deterring idle fingers at the same time. Prigol's wounds healed more slowly, but he was doing well and Belli expected a full recovery. Mitsy healed completely, thanks to consistent and dedicated care and attention. Lana learned more about the way the Hidden interacted with the world and worked closely with Bellithana and Prigol to master certain tricks that would enable her to distinguish a Hidden from their surroundings.

  Ychthorn, his secret now revealed, practiced his telekinesis openly, sometimes enlisting the help of his friends. He was resting on the roof of the moving wagon one morning when Bolgor approached. The dragon regarded the human thoughtfully, then beckoned him over.

  "I want to try something. Are you up for it?" asked Thorn.

  "Uh... does it involve me ending up in some kind of pain?"

  The dragon pondered for a moment before shrugging. "Potentially."

  "Cool. Let's do it." Bolgor was never one to back down from a challenge, even if it ended in him suffering needlessly.

  "Awesome. Stand over there." Ychthorn pointed to the corner of the roof and Bolgor readily complied. "Now, hold still. Don't wiggle about, or this could end badly."

  The dragon was secretly glad that Bolgor was stationed at the back of the wagon and not the front, as there were less horses to trample him there. Thorn closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pictured Bolgor floating above the wagon's top. A yelp caused him to open his eyes. He saw Bolgor flailing about a foot above the wagon for a brief second before tumbling from the air. The man's foot slipped on the edge of the wagon and he went over the edge. Ychthorn had forgotten to account for the motion of the wagon and when Bolgor cried out, it broke his concentration.

  Jumping off the wagon, Thorn rushed to his friend's side.

  "Are you hurt?"

  Bolgor was laughing so hard he could barely breath. "That...was...awesome," he gasped out, tears streaming from his eyes, a big gr
in stretching across his face. With Bolgor's consent, Ychthorn practiced for the next hour, and Bolgor only fell off the wagon twice more. By the time they stopped for dinner, Thorn could float the big man nearly three feet off the top of the wagon, while the wagon was moving, and place him back in roughly the same spot he was lifted from.

  Dinner was served on the roof of the wagon, as was typical on nice days. A table had been brought up and they all settled under the canopy the Flametongues had attached for them. Belli and Lana laid a clean sheet over the table and arranged several scrumptiously light dishes on top. They passed through a town only days before and had been able to restock their pantry and fruit bowl.

  They had also picked up a cow and four sheep. The sheep wandered in a small section of grass when the wagon was stationary, but typically they rode on the roof. This made Ychthorn less than happy, as he was confined to an even smaller area than before. The cow, who had not been as lucky as the sheep, currently rested in large, beautifully seared chunks in a bowl in front of Ychthorn. He had developed quite the palette, thanks to Bellithana's spectacular cooking, and he hoped to share the wonders of prepared meals with free dragons throughout Layr once the kingdom was brought down.

  The five friends were eating a leisurely meal and chatting about the troupe of wandering performers from the previous evening when a huge black shadow muted the glare of the sun. A massive winged beast swooped down the side of the nearby mountain, skewering a sheep with each of its enormous rear feet. The creature swept toward the wagon and dropped the bloodied screaming animals onto the table, destroying the table, spilling the dishes, and scattering the gathered friends.

  Bolgor rushed to fit the saddle on Ychthorn as Chelandra and Bellithana launched futile ranged attacks at the scaly beast. Arrows and balls of fire fell short as the creature pulled up and veered away from the group. Prigol set up his meager defenses around the horses, protecting them from direct attacks by the dark green dragon, who was coming around for another attack.