by Bonnie Lamer
Belial smirks at my comment. “Now would be fine.” Of course it would.
Chapter 26 – Raziel
“Does trouble follow you everywhere you go?” Garren asks.
Since I am in Xandra’s body, the answer to that question is simple. “Yes. Now, I suggest we attempt to get to the Royal Court before Hattock.”
Garren shakes his head and takes the lead again. We only have to walk for another ten minutes before we reach the outskirts of the breeding area. The smell is enough to make our eyes water. When a Goblin is afraid, it will pee a substance that is similar to bat guano but twice as powerful to the olfactory senses. It is a smell one never forgets no matter how many millennia have passed since last smelling it. The only creatures who are not repelled by the stench are the Dragons. The more frightened the Goblin, the more it pees and this makes the Dragons salivate in anticipation. They send sluggish scouts such as Hattock out during the day to keep the Goblins in a constant state of fear.
“You get used to it,” Garren says as the rest of us create mask-like covers for our noses.
Isla looks at him doubtfully. “You do?”
Garren laughs. “Of course not. It smells as nasty as it did the first day I came here.”
“Why did you come here?” Isla asks.
We are rounding a bend and we see the first Goblins. Several Goblin children are playing in a mud puddle that I suspect is not actually mud. More likely it is Goblin Dung.
Garren looks back at her. “You know why I came here.”
Clouds are starting to gather in Isla’s eyes. “No, I do not.”
Garren sighs. “Isla, when I thought I lost you, I went crazy. I needed to get away. So, I chose the most dangerous place I could go. I figured if I stayed long enough I would eventually become Dragon food. I am told that is the perfect cure for a broken heart.”
A small smile breaks through the stone walls around Isla’s mouth. “That seems a bit extreme.”
Garren shrugs. “Then you have never truly had a broken heart.”
Oh no. Does the Fairy have any brains? Kallen and I have been following closely behind them both, but in unison we slow our steps to ensure that we will not be caught in the grips of his stupid remark.
The words that drop from Isla’s mouth are heavy enough that the ground should be shaking. “I guess not.” I expected her to yell. Or even return to the stony silence she has tried to observe since we arrived in this realm. What I did not expect was the slingshot that appears in her hand, nor the rock it is loaded with. Garren stumbles when the rock hits him in the back of his head. He looks around for his attacker. Of course, the slingshot disappeared from Isla’s hand as soon as she let the rock go. So he has no idea it was her.
His brow furrowed, he asks, “Did you see where that came from?”
Isla sighs and says deadpan, “What are you blathering about now, Garren.”
Kallen quickly covers his laugh with a small coughing fit. I pat him lightly on the back as an excuse to turn away from the suspicious Fairy. Garren puts a hand to the back of his head and looks up. “Must have been a bird, I guess.” With a shrug, he turns around and starts walking again. He immediately stubs his toe on a rock that was not there a moment ago.
With slitted eyes, Isla says, “Garren, that language is not appropriate in polite company. Please watch where you are going. We are in a hurry.”
His eyes narrow in her direction but he turns around and starts walking again. Right into a pile of Goblin dung. Strange I did not see any Goblins in our near vicinity who could have left that. Garren must be thinking the same thing. Whirling around, he points a finger at Kallen and me. “You will stop this childish behavior.”
As an Archangel, I cannot tell a lie. “It is odd that you have suddenly fallen into several unfortunate situations, but none of them were perpetrated by us.” I do not have to tell all of the truth either.
Whatever Garren was going to say is washed away in the sound of approaching Goblins shrieking and the patter of hundreds of tiny feet. A squall of terrified Goblins is headed towards us at the speed of a lame dog. Their little legs cannot carry them quickly. Their noses are almost long enough for them to trip over and their gray bodies are covered with nothing except their own excrement. Their wrinkled little faces are scrunched up in fear.
Behind them, another Goblin is approaching on the back of a baby Dragon. The Goblin is brandishing a whip made from a willow tree and he is using it freely to steer the Goblins where he wants them to go. The Dragon is snorting gusts of thick smoke, trying desperately to attain his first flame. Both are yelling at the running Goblins, saying things no one wants to hear about them. Ever.
“Hi ho, Garren!” the Goblin says as he comes alongside the squall to force them back towards the center of the breeding area. “I caught these trying to escape.” He gestures towards his fellow Goblins. “Not quickly enough, though. I was on them at first light. Stupid things are trying to run their fat off and that will make the Dragons mighty unhappy come suppertime.”
I cringe to think what Xandra’s response would be to that. If they are smart enough to try to run their fat off, they are smart enough to know that they are destined to be food. Garren’s response is to say, “Keep up the good work, Botan.” The Goblin’s thin lips turn out in a grin that is barely noticeable under its nose and gives us a wave as his mind switches back to his task at hand. A straggler is trying to break free from the rest but Botan and the Dragon are able to round him up and force him back to the rest. Our party keeps walking and we all pretend not to feel uncomfortable about watching one Goblin gladly sacrificing his brethren to save himself.
The breeding grounds are wide because the Dragons have voracious appetites. It is not unusual for a Dragon to down nine or ten Goblins in a single night. And Botan was right; they do like them fat and juicy. We continue to walk towards our destination in silence. Other than the odd group of fornicating Goblins, who are being closely watched by a more advanced Goblin, we do not see much of them as we walk around the breeding grounds. After an hour, we put its boundaries behind us and the Royal Court comes into view.
The thick stone walls of the building that houses the King is in front of us. All of the Dragon structures that are not caves are one story as Dragons are not able to negotiate stairs. This makes it necessary for the buildings to be sprawling. The Royal Court itself covers the same amount of land as the breeding grounds do. The rest of the Dragon population lives in smaller structures or caves depending on their individual preferences.
The sights of the breeding grounds have subdued us all and the silence becomes heavier with every step as we approach the Court. Isla has left Garren alone but he is still walking in such a way that he can keep us all in his peripheral vision. Every once in a while the corners of Isla’s mouth try to turn up at the corners because of this.
When we get to the entrance of the Royal Court building, the massive stone doors open as if they are expecting us. Something tells me that Hattock got here first.
Chapter 27 – Xandra
“I will see you in the commons,” Belial says with an evil grin. Since he is evil, I suppose he doesn’t have any other kind.
As soon as he’s gone, Adriel rounds on me. “What is wrong with you?” Well, that’s not very supportive. “You do understand that this is not a game, correct?”
I do now that’s she’s yelling at me. I’ll try deflection. “Why are you getting so upset? I’m the one who has to do whatever it is I’m supposed to do.”
I’m not sure if she’s going to slap me, punch me or just simply kill me. I am very sure that it will be one of those three though. Her hands are twitching in white knuckled fists at her side. I bet she punches me.
“Xandra, this is not like fighting a few Witches or Fairies. This is a fight of two equals. You are not stronger than Belial. If anything, you are weaker because you do not have a handle on Raziel’s magic.”
Valid point. Still, I shrug. “But we have equal mag
ic.” I’m trying to be nonchalant so that she doesn’t notice that I’m about to throw up. Do Angels throw up? And if they do, what do they throw up? I never see any of them eating. I also haven’t been hungry since I got here. “Instead of yelling at me, will you please tell me what I have to do?”
It takes a good twenty or thirty deep breaths for Adriel to calm down enough to respond. When she does, it’s through a tight jaw. “You will fight until one of you cries defeat. You may use any magic at your disposal – dark or light. This is not a fight to the death but it is close. When one of you proclaims to be the loser, you will spend a thousand years in a fiery pit.”
My face is grim as I try to find an upside. “Is that a thousand Cowan years, Fairy years or Angel years?” Time moves differently for all three. I think Angel time moves the fastest. I think.
Raziel’s body may be bigger and stronger than mine, but it still hurts a lot when someone slaps you. “Hey! What was that for?” I ask, putting a hand to my swelling cheek.
Adriel is standing akimbo in front of me. “That was for not taking this seriously. A thousand years is a thousand years, Xandra. One. Thousand. Years.”
“Okay, I get it.”
Adriel shakes her head and begins pacing in front of me. “If there was any type of precedent, I could give you some advice. At the moment, I do not know what to tell you.”
“No precedent?” That can’t be a good thing. “You mean, no one has ever done this before.”
She stops and scowls at me. “Did I mention the fiery pit? No one wants to risk that. Except you, apparently.”
Okay, now I’m really scared. An ancient Rite that has never been evoked because Angels are afraid of it. And here I am with magic that is harder to control than mine with absolutely no idea of how Angels fight. I guess I should stock up on some fire-retardant clothes. “Why does it exist if no one ever uses it?”
Adriel sighs. “Because it is there as a last resort. If an Angel has gotten completely out of hand, there is the threat of this Rite to bring them back to the fold. The threat has always been enough. Until now.” Her brows pinch together in consternation. “I am unclear as to why Belial agreed to such an inane thing.”
“Because he knows he can beat me.”
She’s back to scowling at me now. “He knows no such thing. He suspects that you are not quite yourself, but he has no way of knowing for sure. This was just as asinine for him to accept as it was for you to dangle it in front of him.”
I’m sure glad my friends don’t hold back when telling me how stupid I am, I mumble. Adriel’s scowl turns into a glare now. “Can you give me any advice?” I ask.
She starts pacing again. “The only thing I can say is assume that Belial will play dirty. He has had eons to think of ways to torture people and he is good at it.”
“Torture??” I didn’t sign up for torture.
With a sad sigh, Adriel stops in front of me and gives me a hug. I’m too dumbfounded to hug her back. “Yes, Xandra. Torture. You will both be trying to hurt each other until one of you cannot take it anymore. That is called torture.”
Oh crap. I guess I did sign up for torture. Adriel steps back out of the hug to look up at my stunned face. I wonder what stunned looks like on Raziel’s face. Probably better than fire will. “Belial signed up for this for a chance to torture Raziel.” I say this as if she didn’t already know his reason.
“Yes.”
“They hate each other that much.”
“I do not know about Raziel, but Belial does hate with him with a passion. Raziel is most often the one to block his attempts to act upon his hatred. I can see why he relishes in the thought of sending you to a fiery pit.”
Yeah, me too unfortunately. “So what you’re saying is – fight dirty because he really has it out for me.”
Adriel’s chin raises a little. “I would never encourage someone to fight ‘dirty’ as you put it. I am merely suggesting that a creative defense would be prudent.”
I shake my head. “Semantics, Adriel.”
She shrugs in a ‘so what’ kind of way. “We have to get going. If you do not show up to the challenge, you will automatically lose.”
Hmm. That makes for a tough decision. Be thrown into a fiery pit after being tortured, or being thrown in before being tortured. Adriel doesn’t give me time to weigh my options before we are back in the commons. Torture it is then.
Chapter 28 – Raziel
The Dragon that opened the door is gigantic. He looks as if he has eaten another Dragon and absorbed its size. He has brilliant red and silver scales and eyes that can scald you with just a glance. His voice is loud and booming when he says, “Come.” There is no doubt in his mind that we will follow behind him.
“Xandra hates it when someone tells her to ‘come’,” Kallen says quietly. “She says that is how dogs are called, not her.”
I chuckle a little. “Yes, her reaction to him may have been less placid than mine is.”
The Dragon leads us down a long, dark hallway. This helps the Dragons avoid unwelcome daylight when they are sleeping. There are no windows anywhere in the building. The hallway, made for regular sized Dragons, is not tall enough for the Dragon in front of us. He has to walk on all four paws and keep his head down lest he scrape it across the stone ceiling.
The end of the hallway leads into a large round room. An arch shaped table is at the far end and behind it are two Dragons. Our tour guide moves behind it to complete the tribunal. The green and gold Dragon in the middle is Myles, King of the Dragon realm. I know the other Dragon to be Ormar, a female Dragon who is drawing close to the path of the Lost. Her once orange scales have faded to dull ochre. Our guide is Ryu but I have not let on that I know that. I do not address any of them by name. I do not want to draw attention to myself.
“Garren,” Ormar croaks, “you have brought outsiders here and led them to our Royal Court without the King’s permission. What have you to say for yourself?”
Garren drops to one knee and bows his head. The standard pose Dragons expect humanoids to strike before them. “I assure you the matter is grave and time is short, Ormar. I never would have done so otherwise.”
“What matter could be so pressing that a formal request could not have been brought before us?”
“A loved one has been kidnapped and is being held ransom. I believe the rebel Goblins are behind this.”
Ormar’s scaly lips curl up in the middle similar to how a rabid poodle looks. Except she is crazier than that. Her mind decays more and more every day. “Why would we care a Fairy has been claimed? Let the rebels have her and be gone.” The King and Ryu are sitting still as stone beside her, leaving all the talking to her.
“We will not,” Kallen says, startling Garren. “We will leave when we have rescued our loved one.”
King Myles eyes the three of us still standing. “You will take a knee before addressing your superiors.”
“No,” Kallen and I say in unison. I must admit, I am starting to like him more and more. He is far from cowardly.
The King rises to his full height, which is not nearly as tall as Ryu’s who has risen as well. “This is not a debate. You will take a knee or you will pay the consequences.”
“We do not bow down before equals,” Kallen says tightly. Isla’s eyes are glowing with pride. Garren’s eyes are glowing with something completely different. I believe he is finding that he likes Kallen less and less.
“Equals?” Ryu laughs and small flames snort out of his nose. “You are no more my equal than you are fair haired.”
“I believe otherwise,” Kallen says holding his ground.
“Ryu, demonstrate how tasty these beings are. That will prove who the superior is.”
“You hide behind your enforcer, King Myles. A great Dragon such as you should not have to rely on others like this. Is it because you are a coward or you are too lame due to the injury you sustained several weeks ago while sparring with your grandchildren?”
Bot
h Ormar and Ryu shoot flames in our direction in defense of their stunned King. None of us are truly stupid. We have remained more than ten feet from the Dragons at all times. Ryu’s flame does have a longer reach, presumably because everything about him is bigger, but it still falls short of reaching us. I believe the three of them were expecting more of a reaction. None of us even flinched. Not even Garren.
“Who are you,” the King growls.
“I am part of a rescue team here to extract one from your midst who does not belong here. We will leave your realm as soon as she is safe.”
With gray eyes like freshly polished silver, King Myles focuses solely on me. “I did not ask what you are doing here. I asked you who you are. I can assure you that you will not do anything in this realm before you answer that question.”