It was late evening when they finally reached the outskirts of Crete, which was one of the closest settlements south of the Godstear Mountains. They quickly made their way into town, and set off in search of a suitable inn in which to rest for the evening.
Damion drew the usual amount of attention as they passed by the locals, many of whom stared openly at the huge warrior, although there were a few more gasps of surprise and fear than usual as the townspeople spotted Slither, who remained close to Damion and Leia's side.
"Well, so far so good." Sly grumbled to Slither, who was busy watching the locals closely for any signs of aggression. "There isn't any torch bearing mobs following behind us."
"You are not funny." Slither hissed to the little man.
"Just relax." Damion told the huge shadowspawn. "No one is going to bother you as long as you are with us."
"But make sure you are ready to run if you see a bunch of torches heading your way." Sly snorted in amusement.
Slither stopped in his tracks, then turned and fixed the little man with a flat stare. "You are ssstill not funny."
"Knock it off, Sly." Leia told the scruffy little man in a commanding tone. "He's nervous enough as it is."
The rustle of feathers drew Damion's attention to Snowfeather, who was circling overhead. "We're going to stop here for the evening." He informed his familiar silently. "Do you think I could persuade you to do your hunting in the grasslands tonight? We need to locate Bativa's clan as quickly possible so we can alert him to what is happening."
"I'll see what I can do," Snowfeather chirped, tilting one wing, and heading off towards the south. "but I'm not making any promises. The grasslands are fairly extensive, and there's really no telling where they may be."
They quickly located a well maintained inn near the center of town and went inside to purchase rooms for the night.
"Good evening." The innkeeper, a middle-aged man with a closely cropped beard greeted them, rushing forward with a pleasant smile. "Are you looking to purchase rooms for the ni..." He suddenly stopped short as he caught sight of Slither. "By the gods!" He exclaimed, scrambling back several steps, his eyes wide with terror.
"Calm yourself, my good man." Damion told him in a quiet tone. "Our friend will not harm you."
"Are you mad?" The innkeeper asked in a shrill voice. "You can't bring a dragonspawn into this place! They are complete savages!"
"SSSlither is not a sssavage." The huge shadowspawn hissed at the man in a mild tone. "SSSlither is of SSSevria."
"It can talk?" The innkeeper's jaw dropped open in surprise. He turned to stare at Damion, then his face suddenly drained of color. "Y-You're the D-Dragon Lord, aren't you?" His voice was weak with fear.
"Some people call me that, yes." Damion told him with a nod. "But my friends just call me Damion."
"I-I..." The innkeeper looked as though he might faint. "I-I am honored by y-your presence, milord."
"Do you have enough rooms to accommodate us all?"
The man nodded nervously. "I-I believe I d-do, milord."
"Excellent!" He slapped the man on the shoulder familiarly. "Once we have settled in, we'll be needing food. A nice hot meal would be quite welcome right now. Please alert your cooks, and then have your people see to our horses."
"At-At once, milord." The innkeeper hurried over to speak with a teenage boy for a moment, then hurried back breathlessly. "My son will see to your horses, milord. If you will follow me this way, I'll show you to your rooms."
They followed the nervous man up to the second floor and examined the vacant rooms, which were plain, but clean, and very well kept.
"These will be just fine." Raven said approvingly. "Do you have a bathhouse here on the premises?"
"Of course, milady."
"Very good. Please have your people start warming up water. I think everyone here could do with a good washing." She gave Damion a pointed look. "Some of us more than others."
"What do you expect?" Damion asked defensively. "We've been on the road for the last several months now. It hasn't left me with much time to bathe."
"You should have made time." Leia agreed with her mother. "My eyes have been watering for the last two days now."
"I'll see to your baths immediately," The innkeeper told her with a half bow. "and then I'll look in our cooks and make sure they are preparing your meal." He gave them another half bow, then cast Slither another dubious look, and hurried off downstairs.
After they all bathed, they gathered together in the inn's common room, which was crowded with dozens of the local townspeople looking to have a few drinks after a long day.
The room fell deathly silent when the huge shadowspawn entered carrying little Leia on his shoulders. Some of the patrons had witnessed as Slither first passed by with the companions on their way through town, and had gathered in the common room to get a better look at the shadowy creature, while many of the other patrons hadn't been aware of their arrival, and stared in surprise and horror as the massive beast looked around the common room fearlessly.
"Milord," The innkeeper waved them over to a group of tables that had been pushed together. "I have these tables reserved for you and your... companions." He glanced nervously at Slither, who continued to look around at the frightened locals.
They started to make their way toward the table, and the crowded quickly backed away fearfully, creating a wide path for them to pass.
Slither gently lifted Leia from his shoulders and placed her onto the floor before him, then started to follow the others, but paused as one of the patrons, an older woman with large fearful eyes, took an involuntary step backward and tripped on the hem of her long skirt, sending her crashing to the floor. Although she struggled to get back to her feet, none of the other patrons moved to help, but instead, continued to stare at Slither with suspicion and fear.
Giving the patrons a disdainful look, the huge shadowspawn knelt before the woman and calmly offered her one talon tipped hand.
The older woman stared at him in shock for several long moments, then hesitantly took his hand and allowed the huge beast to assist her back to her feet. "Th-Thank you." She said as he helped her to a nearby seat.
"My pleasssure." Slither hissed quietly, nodding his head once.
The old woman's eyes flew open in astonishment, then she smiled and patted his hand in a motherly fashion.
The crowd had watched in bewilderment as the shadowspawn helped the old woman back to her feet, then stared as the beast calmly made his way over to sit with the others.
Damion noticed that many of their expressions had changed from fearful disapproval, to utter fascination as they watched they shadowspawn, though several of them continued to stare at him with untrusting gazes.
"Well played." Sly murmured as Slither took a seat across the table from him. "I can't think of anything that could have shown the people you mean them no harm better than helping that old woman."
"SSShe needed help." Slither shrugged.
"I bet this is the first time that you weren't the center of attention." Dar smiled at Damion.
"You're right." The huge warrior agreed with a chuckle, looking around with a pleased expression. "I think I rather enjoy it."
The innkeeper returned with several serving girls bearing trays laden with food and drink, which they quickly spread out on the table before them.
"Ah, just what I needed!" Sly exclaimed happily, snatching up a tankard of ale and draining it dry in three huge gulps. He burped thunderously, causing Leia to giggle in amusement.
"I wasn't sure what I should bring for..." He stared at Slither with a helpless expression.
"His name is Slither." Leia supplied helpfully, piling potatoes onto her plate.
"Th-Thank you, little lady." The innkeeper smiled nervously.
"Thisss will be fine." Slither hissed, taking an entire roast chicken from one of the platters and tearing a large chuck free with his teeth.
"Very good." The innkeeper looked relie
ved. "If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask." He hurried off, leaving them to enjoy the feast spread out before them.
They were just finishing their meal when a grossly overweight man dressed in richly appointed clothes of the finest material came bustling into the room breathlessly.
"Uh oh." Damion groaned, noticing the fat man as he scanned the common room with desperate eyes.
Sly followed the huge warrior's gaze, then snorted in amusement. "I take it you know the walking tub of blubber that just lumbered in?"
"It's Ignan, the head of the Merchant's Guild here in Crete." Damion sighed in misery. "I guarantee he's going to spend the next three hours trying to convince us to allow his caravans to do business in Sevria without paying their taxes."
"Let me handle this." Raven assured him with a wicked smile.
The grossly overweight man smiled happily when he finally spotted them, and hurried over to their table eagerly. "Lord Omensent!" He exclaimed with a toothy grin. "It's wonderful to see you again! Why didn't you send word of your arrival ahead so I could greet you properly?"
"My apologies, Ignan," Damion sighed. "We were just passing through and decided to stop over for the evening so we could enjoy a nice hot meal."
"This is a fortuitous meeting then!" Ignan clapped his hands together, an eager gleam in his eyes. "I've been hoping to speak with you about the taxes your collectors have been charging the caravans passing through Sevria."
"This is fortuitous!" Raven told him, smiling at the fat man happily. "We were also hoping to speak with you about the taxes. It seems with the events happening in the world as of late, and, of course, the rising costs of protecting the caravans that pass through the mountains, I'm afraid we're going to have to raise the taxes levied against your caravans."
"Events?" Ignan asked in confusion. "What events?"
"The Etazk are gathering for war." Sly grumbled, picking up the ruse. "They have an army fifty thousand men strong preparing to sail out of Salastar." The scruffy little man gave him a feigned look of disbelief. "You haven't heard? Where have you been, man, hiding beneath a rock? The entire world is on the edge of war!"
"War?" The merchant's voice broke. He looked back to Raven "H-How much are you going to raise the taxes?"
"The taxes are going to triple." Raven told him with a regretful expression. "That's the price of war, I'm afraid." She shrugged helplessly.
"Triple?" The fat man's face drained of all color, and he swayed on his feet dangerously. "That will ruin me!"
Damion's eyes suddenly narrowed. "There may be a way for me to grant your caravans impunity from the raised taxes, if you're interested."
"Anything, milord!" Ignan pleaded desperately. "I'll do anything you ask of me!"
"We need to sound the alarm about the Etazk, and start gathering every available man who can wield a sword." The huge warrior told him in a serious tone. "I want you to call a meeting of Crete's town council, and make sure that everyone understands the danger that the Etazk present. It's going to take all of our combined efforts if we want to have any hope of repelling them."
"Are things truly that grim?" The fat man asked, his face still pale. "Are the Etazk that dangerous?"
"I'm afraid so," Damion told him truthfully. "They worship Etaz, the God of the Underworld. He has been attempting to force the rest of the world into worshipping Him for thousands of years, and now, He has returned to continue His war."
"Can't we negotiate a treaty of peace with them?" Ignan was sweating profusely. "Surely they can be reasoned with!"
"You cannot negotiate with the Etazk." Damarius told him in a scholarly tone. "Their god has ordered them to convert all nonbelievers, or to slaughter them and offer their hearts up to Him as a sacrifice."
"Good god!" Ignan dropped into a chair, his face numb with shock. "Is there nothing we can do?"
"We can fight." Damion told him. "But to have any chance at all, we're going to have to join together. That's why we're passing through Crete. We are on our way to Mercedia to speak with the Deolan Council. We'll need their help if we want to have any hope of facing the Etazk."
"So," Raven asked the grossly overweight man. "can we depend on you to organize the men of Crete? In exchange, we'll agree not to raise the taxes on your caravans."
"Of course, of course." Ignan agreed, nodding his head emphatically, his face still pale with shock. "I'll alert the town council immediately."
"We don't have a lot of time to prepare ourselves," Damion cautioned him. "and we're going to need every able-bodied man available, so make sure you get word to the various bandits and outlaw gangs in the area. If you have to, tell them that the Dragon Lord has requested their aid. That should at least get their attention."
"Of course, milord." The fat man stared at them uncertainly for several long moments.
"Well, get moving, man!" Sly barked suddenly, causing the overweight man to jump from his seat.
They all watched as the he waddled off with surprising quickness, then they all burst out laughing.
"Very shrewd." Damarius complimented Raven. "I thought he was going to faint when you told him that you were tripling his taxes."
"I figured he would be more than happy with the taxes as they are if he believed we were planning on raising them." The young woman smiled slyly. "But Damion's idea to use him to start gathering the forces here in Crete was brilliant!"
"I figured it was about time that he did something useful." Damion grunted, taking a drink from his tankard.
The next morning, after enjoying a hearty breakfast of eggs, sausages, fruit, fresh baked bread, and spiced wine to wash it all down, they retrieved their horses and set off through the city at a brisk trot, eager to continue their trek to the south. As they reached the outskirts of town, they noticed a large crowd had gathered, and was watching in anticipation as the companions drew closer.
"What's all this?" Dar asked curiously.
"I'm not sure," Damion replied, his eyes narrowing as he spotted a grossly obese man standing amongst the crowd. "but I have the feeling Ignan is behind it."
"I have done as you asked," The fat man told Damion, waddling forward quickly, a strained expression on his chubby face. "but the people, well..." He looked back at the crowd nervously. "I'm having a difficult time convincing them that the Etazk are a danger that they should be concerned about."
"Exactly!" A rough looking fellow near the front of the crowd scowled. "Why should we care about these Etazk? We have our own problems." A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd.
Damion stared at the man for several long moments, then opened his mouth to rely, but Damarius suddenly cut him off.
"Why should you care?" The old wizard asked him in disbelief. "Are you daft? Do you not understand what will happen to you and your families if we do not stop the Etazk?" He stared out at the gathered crowd with a stern expression. "The Etazk will show you no mercy. They do not care whether you are a man or a woman, a young child or an old invalid. They will force you to convert to the worship of their foul god, Etaz, God of the Underworld, or they will tear out your hearts and offer them up to Him in sacrifice." He stared out over them as he let those words sink in. "You can not reason with them. You can not sue them for peace. There is no place you can run. There is no place you can hide. You can only submit to their demands, or die."
"What can we do then?" Another man asked desperately. "Are we already doomed?"
"Of course not!" Damarius told them. "We're not going to let those zealots turns us from our gods! We will not stand by and watch our children as they're led to the slaughter! We will not lay down and die as they destroy everything and everyone that we love!"
Several men in the crowd roared their agreement.
"We are not going to bow down to their foul god!" The old wizard continued in a ringing voice. "We are going to drive off those heathens, and send Etaz fleeing back to the Underworld with His tail tucked between his legs!"
The whole crowd che
ered this time.
"Nice speech!" Damion told his old mentor in an impressed tone. "It was quite stirring!"
"Why, thank you, young one." Damarius continued to wave at the cheering crowd. "I was hoping you'd feel that way."
"How should we start preparing ourselves to face the Etazk?" The rough looking man asked once the cheering had finally died away.
"Continue to gather every able-bodied man able to wield a sword or fire an arrow." Damion instructed them. "Find those among you who have the most experience in combat and have them start training those with less experience, and begin gathering all of the supplies you can get your hands on. Weapons, armor, horses, food, medicine, we'll need all we can get our hands on. You should also have your blacksmiths begin fashioning as many weapons as they can."
"What should we do then?" Ignan asked fearfully.
"Just concentrate on gathering every man that you can." Damion told him. "We will return once we have warned the Deola, and advise you on what to do next." He looked over the crowd, who stared back at him expectantly. "Your children, and your children's children, depend on each and every one of you. Do not fail them."
They continued to stare at him for several moments, then the rough looking man turned and looked at his fellows. "Well, you heard him! Get moving! We need men out looking for more recruits, and men to start gathering supplies. The rest of you form up!" He turned and gave Damion a brusque nod.
Damion returned the nod, then nudged Storm with his heels and led the other others away, leaving the crowd to start their preparations.
"That went fairly well." Sly commented to Slither, who trotted easily along side of the little man's horse. "The people seemed to be accepting enough of you."
"Yesss." The huge shadowspawn hissed in agreement. "SSSo far, ssso good."
"You'll need to be very cautious with the Deola, though." The little man cautioned him. "They are a high strung people who do not give their trust easily. Make sure that you stay close to us, just to make sure there are no misunderstandings."
Omensent: Revealing the Dragon (The Dragon Lord Series) Page 7