Where Dragons Haunt (The Diaspora Book 1)

by Scott Meaders

  Zoe, becoming impatient, peeked around the corner, no one in sight. He walked out in the open to see no one around. He even had a great view, but nothing. Then a few loose pebbles came down beside him. He looked up the side of the overhanging rock to see a figure falling from the sky.

  Zoe was crushed under the weight of Thanatos crashing down upon him. The only thing that saved Zoe was his outstretched hand that was jammed into the throat of Thanatos. When they hit the ground Zoe’s arm hit the ground and had no give pushing up into Thanatos’ throat. Both the boys lay there in pain unable to move. Fearing for his life, Zoe found strength returning to his limbs. He tried to crawl away, but found a hand suddenly grab his ankle. Zoe turned over on his back to see fierce red eyes peering at him with hellish intent. Zoe took his other foot and drew it back; letting it fly, he soundly hit Thanatos squarely in the face forcing the boy to release his grip.

  Zoe got to his feet and started to flee. Thanatos over took him and tackled him from behind. While Zoe was on his face grasping for something to help him, Thanatos drew out a blade and swung with force toward the center of Zoe’s back. Zoe’s hands hit something hard while his foe was about to kill him. Suddenly there was a bright flash. Zoe looked up; he was at the feet of Mikael the great wizard. Zoe quickly turned around remember his foe, but no one else was by. He saw the well and the house his wizard friend had gone into.

  He looked up at Mikael to hear his reproof, “Fool!”

  Chapter 15

  The gods visit the sins of the fathers

  upon the children.

  ~Euripides~

  “I found this at a bubbling pool of water. Is it by any chance yours?” He asked Zoe having disgust in his voice for the boy and his foolish actions. He gave the carrying sack a gentle swing and tossed it by the boy. Zoe sat up wiping his clothing free from the dust that stuck to his shirt.

  “Your father must have been a very wicked man indeed!” the wizard spoke looking intently at the youth.

  “Why do you say such things without having known him?”

  “The gods always visit the wickedness of the fathers upon their own children, and you seem to find everything, everything that could possibly go wrong!”

  Zoe felt emotions swirl in his heart, he was sad at being a failure, at having a wicked father, though he was not sure if he had one; Zoe was also very angry at Mikael for being so harsh to him. He had done nothing but throw rocks; how was he to know the stupid well would suck him down into the darkness of the abyss?

  “You fool!” the wizard repeated shaking his head.

  “I didn’t do anything wrong.” Zoe boldly said defending his own actions.

  The wizard was surprised at the child’s tone. Mikael felt anger rising inside, “I told you to touch nothing!”

  Mikael’s anger was felt by Zoe as the wizard’s tone brought fear to his bones. Yet Zoe was not about to back down, a foolish bravery arose within the boy, “I didn’t touch anything!”

  “The well took you; you must have touched it!”

  The words were becoming heated as they threw words back and forth at each other. Zoe was tired of the wizard’s treatment, “I told you I didn’t do anything!” Zoe rose to his feet, glaring at Mikael. “I didn’t do anything. I just…I just threw rocks at the well!”

  “So you never touched the well?” Michael became inquisitive.

  “No, I hit the well with a rock, and it pulled me in. I was flying through the air; I had no choice!”

  The wizard turned away from the boy to think. He was rubbing his chin with his hand in much thought. After a minute or so, he turned to face Zoe, “I am sorry for my heated words with you. I thought you had touched the well against my instruction. You must be very important indeed Zoe for the well to have desired you in such a way! Indeed, you must be!”

  Zoe didn’t understand what he was talking about, but he was inquisitive. “Everything seemed so real; what is it anyway?” Zoe asked wondering what sort of well could do such things.

  “The well is a merge of time.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “The past, present and future all become one within the well.” He said to Zoe and then spoke more angrily to the wind, “Confound that bumbling wizard. I have told him many times to fill in the well, but he refuses! I have told him, some day he will regret it!”

  Zoe was not sure what the Wizard was talking about, but he wanted to understand more about what he saw in the well, “I saw some strange things in the well.”

  “I would imagine so; I went in after you and saw some things as well. When I found your sack, the water was boiling over. Did you do anything to the water?”

  Zoe became afraid wondering why Mikael was so worried about the water, “Um, not that I remember.” He lied.

  “Good! One never knows what evil lies within the water, or what future troubles might come of innocent actions.” The wizard looked around him, “Well, I suppose we must be off.” The wizard turned to leave

  “Mikael, I saw a boy in the well?” Zoe said this in a questioning tone.

  The wizard turned to face him again. “Yes, I saw him as well; he is a part of you. I was the one that wrote on the wall, my magic was not strong enough to keep you from the darkness of the well until I could touch you or be touched by you.”

  “I saw your words, but I didn’t trust them. I couldn’t see how I should slay someone that has done me no harm.”

  “Zoe, you must understand that you do not know of the power of this well. If you died in there, you surely would have been no more. If any others die in there, no harm would have come to them. It is magic as you understand not.”

  “Oh, I see. Um, I do wonder one thing about the…”

  “Yes what is it?”

  “Who was he?”

  “Was, no, is.” Mikael shook his head. “He is your brother.”

  Zoe looked at him funny, “I don’t have a brother? You said you found me.” He looked at him with questioning eyes and distrust.

  “Yes I said I found you and dropped you off as soon as I could. I never said that I found you alone!”

  Zoe turned from the wizard realizing his so-called friend had been withholding information from him, knowledge that Zoe needed to know. He felt overwhelmed with emotion. A few tears started to run down his cheeks. Zoe quickly wiped them away. What was truth and what were lies, Zoe could not distinguish what the wizard had spoken. Was there more?

  He turned to look at the wizard with his eyes glistening from the tears. “So my brother wants to kill me?”

  “There are many things that you do not understand Zoe. Many, many things.”

  “Are there as many things that I don’t understand that you hide from me?”

  The wizard realized his mistake, the boy was smart enough to see through ordinary words and the wizard had withheld an important fact. “True indeed, I should have told you, but of what good is it? You were separated at birth by the gods. I took you and my companion took your brother. When the time comes you shall see him again, and you must and will fight him.”

  “I won’t!”

  “I am sorry Zoe, but the gods give you no choice. Now, before nightfall we must get out of the Yellow Forest to the Twin Cities.”

  There was no conversation between the two of them as they made their way with no trouble through the rest of the forest. The man led the way while the boy followed. He contemplated many things, but never spoke or shared a word with the wizard. He wondered why nothing attacked or seemed to go wrong, for everything under the seven moons seemed to go awry for the boy while he was alone. Once they were out of the Yellow Forest. Zoe vowed within him never to return. He hated the place and all that dwelt within.

  Over a short distance they came into view of the Twin Cities during the setting of the second sun. Zoe watched the horizon light up with the coming of darkness; many torches were lit upon the walls of the two cities. Zoe had never seen such a sight in all his life. The walls seemed to go on forever as he
looked at them wondering how could there be so many people found in one place. He started to count the torches that lit the outer wall signifying a guard post. He lost track around eighty seven being about halfway done.

  His jaw dropped as he made audible his thoughts, “There are so many people.”

  Mikael looked down at the boy realizing how much he had been through, also realizing his ignorance of the land. “Indeed, there are at least half a million people to be ruled by a king. How does that suit you?”

  Zoe’s eyes grew when he heard how many; he had never dreamed of such a place. “How could one man rule such a place?”

  Mikael smiled, “You shall have to let me know when the time comes. But worry yourself not about such things as we have need of sustenance and rest.” He patted the boy on the back reassuring him about their relationship.

  They came to the drawbridge at the entrance of the two cities. The entire boundary of the cities was surrounded by a moat, and there was only one entrance for both cities. The guard station was a high tower looking out over the land. When the two of them came close, five men came out to see what the business of the travelers might be.

  “’on’t come any closer!” the guard sounded out sounding somewhat uneducated. “’at business have you in the Twin Cities?”

  “We come for lodging in your great cities. Is the keeper of the gates well?”

  “’e well enough. ‘ou make sure your business is pleasant, for our dungeons are not full.”

  His superior came from behind hearing the last words spoken by his guardsman, “Thorubeo, you make to much noise! Back down or I’ll banish you to the bogs! Now be off with you or I might just do such to ya!” Mikael’s face showed an expression of delight as he recognized the voice of chastisement. “Merlin, good to see you in these parts once again!” The two men clasped hands at the forearms and shook heartily. “What can the cities’ delights offer you on the gray of the night?”

  “Sustratiotes, good friend and fellow soldier; my gratitude to you and yours! Just lodging for me and the young lad.”

  “Ah yes, who might this be?”

  Zoe looked at the man and hesitated before speaking, realizing that his name brought trouble wherever he has gone. The man looked to the face of the wizard and then back to the boy. He spoke unsure of himself, “My name, my name is Zoe.”

  “Zoe, ah for a second I thought you were a mute! Ha, Ha!” His laughter was mimicked by Mikael showing his approval of his jovial mood. “Very well, seek your lodgings my friends. Ah Merlin, I hope you will call on me during your stay.”

  “My dear friend you are very kind, but as we have urgent business, we will be departing on the first rising of the sun.”

  “Next time.”

  “Next time!” Mikael responded as he escorted Zoe past the first guardsmen. They walked across the drawbridge made of thick wood from the Yellow Forest. They entered the First Passing, which had a resemblance to a small village of a little less than one hundred. Only guardsmen and their families lived in the First Passing. Zoe was alert taking in all of the sights, as he had never seen so many people in one place. Many of the people seemed to know Mikael, giving him a proper greeting for an esteemed wizard.

  While walking through this section of the Twin Cities, Zoe saw a small boy about his age. He was intrigued as he watched the boy while Mikael chatted with a familiar friend of his. The boy was learning lessons of war from his father. They were using real swords to learn battle techniques for use in war. Zoe was intrigued on two points; first, that a father trains a son in the way that he should go. Zoe had no such training. He had no father to guide him and thus no training. He seemed to be wondering through life not knowing what his place was, while the child before him knew his place—he was to be a warrior for the Twin Cities. This saddened Zoe as he wondered what his real father were like. What would his father have trained him to do? His second thought was about war. He didn’t know that such things existed, large armies preparing for war against each other. He couldn’t imagine such a grand sight. He wondered what the heat of combat was like. What might it be like to kill? Or even to be killed in the midst of battle.

  From the First Passing a traveler could go to either of the Twin Cities which were separated by water. The people called the second place the Second Passing of the Mountains or the Second Passing of the Waters. If you went to the Twin City that was toward the mountains you would pass by the way of the Second Passing of the Mountains, but if you went to the Twin City by way of the western river, you would pass by the way of the Second Passing of the Waters.

  Mikael led the two of them through the Second Passing of the Waters heading toward the Twin City on the western side. The way of the waters was again similar to the First Passing in that a drawbridge separated the two and the dwelling was again similar in size. From the Second Passing of the Waters a third drawbridge was crossed to get into the Twin City of the Waters. This gave the city a fortification not known to many. The inhabitants of the Twin Cities took great effort to secure and preserve their way of life.

  Though night was upon them lights filled the streets as hundreds of people walked about. Zoe was overwhelmed by the scores of people. He thought there must be more people here in this one place than in all of the land. All types of people were walking about the crowded streets with buildings of all kinds. He saw shops, pubs, places were women were inviting young men and old alike. He saw men and women, young and old, rich and poor walk about together seemingly as a group. With all the people he noticed that many of them did not talk with those that passed by. Very few even seemed to take notice of the likes of Mikael.

  They came to an inn after walking for some time, a place that the wizard said they would be able to be at peace without much commotion. The sign on the front had a sign with a mug, two swords, a knight and a table carved on it with the words, A Knights Table Inn.

  The two of them took their place in the inn, ate their meal, along with a hearty pint of mead and found rest for the night. Mikael spoke before falling asleep as he lay upon his cot with his eyes closed, “Tomorrow you will tell me what you know, for the well would not have taken you unless you have greatness in your path.” No other words were spoke by the wizard. Zoe lay in bed awake for some time dreading the morning when he would be required to speak of the wizard’s death.

  Chapter 16

  Often has even a whole city

  reaped the evil fruit of a bad man.

  ~Hesiod~

  “Get up boy.” Zoe heard through his troubled dreams as he awoke from the light of the coming day. The wizard was awake and ready to go, as Zoe had even yet to open his eyes. “We must be going as the light of the first sun has risen.” Zoe looked over at the wizard and plopped his head back on his cot. He was exhausted. He had also never felt the comforts of these sleeping arrangements before. Before this night he had only known the cold comforts of the ground which were never warm, nor giving to the flesh. The wizard saw the boy’s resolve and realized he needed a little extra motivation this day. He tossed his shoulder bag to him and jokingly said, “If your lifeless body is not out of that cot in five seconds, you will be wallowing with the pigs. With a wizard’s power, you will be a pig the rest of your days!” The wizard smiled at the boy.

  Zoe sat up and swung his feet toward the floor. His bare feet felt the cold stone floor and initially he jolted back in shock at the cool morning touch. He had been so cozy in his warm sleeping conditions that he had almost forgotten the harsh coldness of his previous nights in the elements. The wizard laughed at seeing his response, “Indeed, I suppose we ought not pamper you for to long lest you forget your way!” Zoe bent down and put on his leather boots, strapping them up for the long journey that he perceived was before him. Mikael reiterated his sentiments of the previous night while Zoe finished up with his boots, “When we leave the city,” he raised his eyebrows and looked intently at the child, “you must tell me all that you know!”

  A bursting sound whistled th
rough the town alerting Mikael to the existing dangers. His eyes widened and fear could be seen in his eyes as he muttered a few words, “Never before has the sound of alarm been given—never!” He grabbed his remaining items and started for the door, “Well boy, quickly! We must know what dangers lurk about for such a call!”

  Zoe grabbed his sack and raced outside quickly following the wizard in his panicked pace. Men, women and children raced about the city, all alert and alarmed. Fear and worry was seen in their mad hurry as they rushed about. To Zoe, they reminded him of an anthill that had been disturbed, the ants scurrying about carrying the eggs in a frenzied panic to find safety in the tunnels below. The people of the city gave Zoe reason to be afraid; he had never seen such panic.

  They traveled down several alleyways, back ways to avoid the mad troughs of people. Left, running, jumping, being pushed aside, falling down, picked up by the arm, painful grip, running again, out of breath, turning left, dodging left, right, left, people coming at him. Turns right, running. Jumps over spilled trash, food that was for the market, left in a panic. Waits on a main street for clear passage, never comes. Turns around, following wizard close behind. Turns left, then right, goes under main street by passage way.

  Zoe felt overwhelmed by the inundation of sights; his main goal—not to lose sight of the wizard. He accomplished this task as they came to a stand still at the gate leading to the Second Passing of the Waters. The bridge was drawn allowing for no passage. He told Zoe to wait for a moment’s time as he gained access for the two of them to climb the tower. The wizard hastily walked over to the main guard that looked as fearful as the rest.