“Yes, but not now.” He paused to think. “Now I know that you will kill me. Before I didn’t believe you.” He lied as he had thought all along the man was capable of murder. Zoe could see the man’s image grow bright red in the dragon’s eye. Zoe looked away as not to bring attention to it.
Tapeinosis backed up slightly looking at the boy. “Where is this gold? I want it!” Tapeinosis yelled out as he charged at the boy.
“No, No I will tell you! Please don’t hurt me!”
“Oh, yes, I will skin you alive if you don’t take me to it.”
“Ok, I know where it is.” Zoe knew that if the dragon was not moved by the man’s wickedness that Tapeinosis would kill him for leading him into the trap.
Tapeinosis walked up to him and bent over him and grabbed a fist full of hair. He pulled him up with the strength of the one arm. A strong sharp pain shot though Zoe as his hair was being pulled out of his head, “Ou…OOuch, oww! Please ouch!”
Zoe was now to his feet as the man had lifted him there. “Now,” looking directly and speaking into his face, “you will take me there!” His breath was hideous and his decaying teeth came close to his eyes as he saw the yellow and blackness of each one. Zoe’s fears were more focused on death to have been disgusted by the man’s genial habits of common decency.
“I will, but you must understand a few things,” Zoe said trying to buy time.
“What?”
“There are piles and piles of gold and treasures. That is why I came here. The dragons amass them and bring them here, but you need to walk softly as there are many creatures about that will not allow you to take their gold!”
“Go on!” He wanted to see the trap as he felt an ensnarement being set by Zoe.
“I will go first as to lead the way, so that nothing happens because if you go first you will surely die!”
The man stood there for just a moment and then asked, “Where is the treasure?”
“It is around this corner and up over the tall hill, but I need to go first!”
“If you say one more word I will kill you! Not a word. And if you move I will kill you! Do you hear me?”
Zoe nodded in agreement.
“I will go look and if it is as you say. I will let you live, but if anything is out of place I will come back for you and find you. When I find you, the gods won’t be able to protect you. Do I make myself understood to you?”
Zoe shook his head again.
“You also are going to turn onto your stomach and if you role over I will kill you. I might stay here watching you for a while or I might go straight there, but I will kill you if I see you move!”
Zoe rolled over and placed his face down in the ground. Tapeinosis bent down close to his ear, “If you do any tricks, I will kill you!” His voice was a heated whisper. Zoe kept his face down to the ground and waited. He knew that either he would die, or he would hear the sounds of death. Either way, he must wait.
Tapeinosis walked softly marching forward and looked around the corner slightly and saw that there was a hill leading up to a ridge. Zoe had described this right, luckily as he had not even seen it. The man went out to a great surprise as he thought that things would be safe until he reached the ridge, but on the other side of the corner of rock before him was a beastly huge creature clad in scales twelve times the size of his own body. The creature went up on its hind legs and looked down at the puny man. Tapeinosis screamed in terror as his feet were within the trap. A huge gust of wind came from behind almost sucking him into the dragon’s mouth as the dragon took in air, followed by an explosive channel of flames rushing out at Tapeinosis as he covered his eyes, “Ahhhh! Ahhhh, Noooo!”
The flames engulfed the man as he went up in a blaze of fire with excruciating heat. His life was quickly vanquished by the flames having little time to feel the true pains of death. His blood was curdled and not even allowed to spill upon the snow white rocks below his feet. His body was burnt and crisp and then devoured by the dragon as the beast bent down and took the morsel in his mouth and crunched the bones between his man-sized teeth. The dragon then sauntered away having seen the greed of the man’s heart leaving Zoe free from an enemy.
Chapter 49
Use mercy to them all.
~William Shakespeare~
Zoe felt no pity as he surely would have received none. He was glad to be done with his enemies. He peered around the corner and saw burnt rocks, but no sign of the dragon. He made his way across the rocks and found that the heat had remained sealed within the rocks. He was halfway across when he heard a shrieking sound from behind. He turned to see what was amiss. In the short distance, he saw the owls all flying off in different directions except toward himself. He thought this odd as he saw them continue off in the distance with the firm belief that they would never return.
He turned his attention back to the ridge ahead. He walked up and saw before him a sight unseen before in all of creation and never to again to be seen by mortal eyes. Before him was hundreds of dragons laying on hoards of treasure. Mound upon mounds of treasure lay before him. There must have been thirty to forty miles of treasure glistening below the two suns. He was awestruck.
“Quite a site!”
Startled, Zoe turned to his side and saw a boy about his own age and his own height standing next to him looking at the same thing. The boy didn’t even look at Zoe when he turned toward him. Zoe stood motionless examining him. He wanted to speak but found no words for his thoughts.
“Hello brother!” Thanatos said as he cleared the air of anticipation when he turned toward Zoe. “Yes, I am your brother, separated by the miserable gods of this land at birth!”
“Who are you?” Zoe shot back in disbelief.
“Now, you know me and I know you.” He smiled his evil little smile. “Do we need to play this little game?”
“Are you…you Thanatos?”
“Yes brother, you know my name as I know yours, Zoe!”
Zoe was unsure of himself as the memory of the well was vivid and warning him of his brother, “What do you want with me?”
Thanatos walked a little ways away from Zoe and sat on a large rock, “Don’t you know?”
Zoe wondered if he misjudged his brother’s intentions because of the well. Must his brother be evil? Must he fight his brother? Must his brother try and kill him? Zoe didn’t believe so, “I don’t’ know!”
“Well, let me explain to you what my life has been like and then maybe you will come to understand what it is that you may give to me. I grew up with no mother or father.”
“As did I,” Zoe responded.
“True enough.” Thanatos was annoyed at the interruption, “I grew up in a small village with out knowledge that my real mother was still alive.”
“What?”
“Oh, I see. They didn’t tell you.”
“You lie!”
“No Zoe. They lie! You know that the wizards of our land care not for us, but only for their grand plans.” He could tell that he struck a cord with Zoe, “Tell me Zoe, when did they let you in on the secret of my existence?” Zoe remained silent. Thanatos continued, “I see you found out on your own as well as I did. Zoe we are so close, yet separated by the gods and the wizards of this land.”
“You want me to turn away from them?”
“No, foolish Zoe, no. I don’t think you could ever truly do that. I even couldn’t do that to my own caregiver. You see my caregiver was a wizard. I was looked on as odd my whole upbringing because of Raziel.” His voice came out with malice at the naming of his master. “Yes, I was teased and bullied, despised by others because of the wizards. But then they told me that I have a brother!”
“I thought you said you found out?”
“You are a bright one. Yes, I found out, but they brought it to voice. I cornered them on their words and actions. I knew and therefore they had to tell me. I guess you must have done the same.” Zoe felt uneasy with their conversation. “You are my brother, one of my own kind.�
� Thanatos stood up and walked near Zoe. “Yes, Zoe we are not like others. We were made for greatness, for power!”
“What if I don’t want it?”
“Zoe, they have destined you to rule over eleven cities! You will rule and I will rule!”
“So what do you want?”
Thanatos spun around in a circle to face his brother, “The wizards have sent me here to pay my respect to you and give my allegiance to you.”
“But you won’t.”
“Yes, I will, and I hope you will do the same for me!”
“What do you mean by the same?”
“Zoe you have so many untrusting questions. I see in your eyes distrust for me. I know that the gods have made you for greatness as they have me as well! It has been promised to both of us, but I wonder….”
“Yes.” Zoe said leading him on to be done with his words.
“If you will take my blade!” He said as he pulled out a dagger and thrust it toward Zoe’s stomach. Just within an inch, Zoe had managed to dodge the attack and find himself in a superior position. Zoe had grabbed onto Thanatos’ arm and swung his own legs under Thanatos and pushed him down on the ground. Zoe was on top and had a dagger of his own.
The change of power had startled Thanatos. Zoe slowly got up off of Thanatos and backed away. He allowed for Thanatos to get up off the ground and face him. “So Zoe, now you know that I have not come to bow to you but to put you in your grave.”
“Yes, I knew this before, but what I didn’t know before was how I would respond to your hate and anger.”
“Now, do you wish to kill me?”
“Didn’t I just have the opportunity? I choose to show mercy! I will spare your life.”
Thanatos was angered by his words. He made an aggressive step toward Zoe causing Zoe to back up in his stance. This was a dangerous mistake for Zoe as he lost his footing on the ridge and tumbled backwards over the edge. His body fell end over end on the hard rocky ground until he met the softer piles of gold coins that he slid down out of safety as he came to a stop at the most dangerous position possible. He raised his head and looked down the mouth of a yawning dragon.
Chapter 50
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
~William Shakespeare~
Thanatos stood above the scene and watched with great delight as everything began to unfold. His delight caused him to hop into the air and smile like a small child gaining delight at some childish game boys would play in a field. He made his way slowly, making sure to watch the whole time, to the rock he had sat on earlier. He found his place and put his cheeks to his hands and waited in excited anticipation as he leaned forward barely resting upon the rock.
“Fool! He passes out mercy to all kinds even to one such as me filled with malice and murder! Zoe, my dear, dear brother you shall die! I shall twist the life out of your mortal flesh!”
The breath that was exhaled out of the dragon’s mouth was foul indeed. Zoe found himself holding his breath at the possibilities of dying at such a stench. He had to bury his head in his arms to keep from the rank stench. After he felt the breath pass over, he took a gasp of air and could smell the lingering odor on his own clothes.
He didn’t want to wait around for another breath to come his way. He quietly scampered around to the far side of the beast. He got a good view of its teeth from there. The upper level of teeth protruded out of the side of the mouth coming down over the lower lip. These teeth were enormous by any boy’s imagination as they were two to three times his size. He stood up and could see a yellow tint on the teeth from decay.
He slowly backed away until he stumbled over a pile of gold that had been sitting undisturbed for hundreds of years. Thanatos up on the ridge clapped his hands in excitement; a thrill rushed through his body in anticipation. Zoe regained his composure and looked up over the heap of gold; he saw the eyes open for the first time. These eyes were different from the one that had devoured Tapeinosis. The eyes had two parts to them much like a human eye, but formed differently. The black center of the eye spanned from the top of the eye all the way down to the bottom like a giant split or slit in the eye itself. He saw the creature blink with a clear scaly substance that was transparent. This black core separated the whole of the eye that seemed to be thousands of tiny windows that were broken up into individual little pieces, each one taking in the spectrum of light as an individual eye fragment completing the whole.
Zoe stood still hoping that the beast could not see him from his current vantage point. Zoe’s hope was dashed as the creature used its powerful legs that were the size of three full-grown tree trunks to stand completely up. The beast didn’t walk, though it easily could have, but instead it leapt or did a slight hop over Zoe to examine the boy from the other side. Zoe quickly rolled on his back to see what the creature might do next.
The dragon stood up on its hind legs and stretched out its enormous wings spanning wider and higher than any single structure Zoe had seen in his life. The wings were a combination of leathery looking flesh and scales intertwined for strength, protection and ability to catch air. The arm of the wings were fit onto the broad shoulders just below the upper appendages and having a wing like substance that ran halfway down the back for extra support on the lower part of the wing. It was overwhelming as the dragon flapped its wings twice pushing Zoe over by the forced wind.
The thick scales seemed as strong as a stonewall that no weapon could penetrate. The scales as a whole were fashioned like a grid link armor that had no weakens thought the scales seemed to be rubbed thin on the chest and front part of the neck, showing the beast’s possible only weakness. The animal appeared oddly clean for a beast of foul breath. Zoe was in awe at the creature’s majestic appearance and splendor.
The power was overwhelming and yet there seemed to Zoe a gentle melancholy with the dragon, a lackluster appearance as the fading color indicated something amiss with the dragon. There were no beautiful colors as he had anticipated, but a dull gray fading had take place. The animal looked at Zoe and decided that he was not worth his time and flew away, taking two hops and catching an upward draft lifting into flight.
“Curse that dragon! You had him! You had him!” Thanatos burst out in disgust as he hit his right fist into his left hand while watching. “Curse you!”
Zoe sat up a little saddened for the dragon feeling something awful inside. He recognized in the eyes of the dragon a fading glory that would never be returned. He wondered why the dragon felt the way it did.
He stood up and walked around a pile of gold to encounter a scene his heart was again not prepared for—five dragons, alert and colorful having different hues brilliant in their own regard. The society of the dragons surprised him as he had never thought of dragons to exist together, yet here was a group of dragons coexisting.
Thanatos was pleased with what he saw, but also was losing patience with the dragons. He realized while he waited he wanted to cause the pain. He wanted to bring the slow torturous death that he had done many times before. Thanatos wanted the power! He made his way down the hill losing sight of Zoe as the mounds of gold were in the way.
Zoe froze as he heard the sky-blue dragon speak, “I will eat the boy!” Zoe knew them to be talking about him, but was shocked that the dragons, had voices of their own.
The golden sunset red dragon stepped in the way as the sky-blue dragon approached, “No, I believe I will have a delightful little snack.” This was said followed by a sudden roar by the other dragons.
The glistening forest-green dragon spoke having looked at both Zoe and the other dragons, “What evil dwells in the boy? Is he pure of heart? Examine the boy!” Upon hearing the rebuke of the wise dragon, he furthered his dialogue, “Boy, what is your name and what is your purpose here?”
Zoe was frozen with terror unable to speak; His eyes widened as each dragon looked at him with int
ensity, examining his soul. A silver dragon with intermingled gold specks bent forward and sniffed Zoe. “He smells of fear! His evil must be greed as he is here to steal our wealth!”
“No,” Zoe said weakly.
“Ah, the boy has a voice!” The sky-blue dragon mockingly spoke, “So, what is your fear and why have you come to our home?”
“I…I am afraid of you!”
“Who are you?”
Zoe looked around as his fear grew intensely, “Zoe…my name...is Zoe. Please don’t hurt me, please!”
“Why have you come here?” the brilliantly shiny purple dragon spoke loudly.
“I…I was sent here.”
“By the greed of what evil man?”
Zoe’s fears slightly turned to hope, “It was by the hand of Hagious that I have come here.”
The dragons looked surprised and looked from face to face, “You lie!”
“No! I tell the truth!” Zoe said fearing they would not believe him.
The sky-blue dragon stepped forward and used his great talon pushing Zoe over. He took one of his claws, while Zoe lay upon his back, and pierced his flesh with great force in the upper left shoulder. The tear in his flesh nearly took his whole arm off. Zoe screamed out in fierce pain, like no other pain he had other felt. The sky-blue dragon twisted his neck like an owl and looked at the other dragons, “He speaks the truth; Hagious sent him, but darkness dwells in his blood. He does not seek our gold, but he seeks his own fortune even at the demise of others.” He turned back to Zoe, “You should have been true to yourself all day into the night and to all men you should have never been false. Instead you have found a dark place in your heart a place where dragons see and owls feed, a darkness that spreads to all humanity, and for that you shall die!”
Chapter 51
Death stands above me, whispering low
Where Dragons Haunt (The Diaspora Book 1) Page 24