A crowd quickly gathered to watch and cheer as the men attempted to pummel one another into submission, while several industrious fellows quickly began taking bets on the winner.
"Knock it off!" A man's voice roared over the cheers of the crowd. A rough looking fellow began pushing his way through the onlookers until he reached the two combatants. "I said knock it off!" He emphasized his words by kicking one of the men hard in the ribs, causing the air to whoosh from his lungs, and sending him crashing to the ground. "The next two men I catch fighting will be scrubbing out chamber pots for the duration of the war!"
"He looks rather familiar." Sly murmured, scratching his beard absently. "Isn't he the fellow who took charge of the crowd after we ordered them to begin preparing for war?"
"It appears so." Damion slipped down from his saddle and approached the rough looking man, who was still busy berating the two men who had been fighting. "You seemed to handle that situation well."
"Thank you, milord." The man quickly dismissed the two men, then attempted to perform a graceful bow that ended up looking more like an awkward squat.
"Don't do that." Damion groaned, shaking his head. "You look ridiculous."
"I thought so too, but Ignan insisted that I learn how to do it. He said it's how the highborn show respect to one another." He snorted in amusement. "I explained to him that I wasn't a highborn, but he still insisted. I finally agreed just to shut him up."
"That sounds like the Ignan all we know and despise." Raven agreed, trying hard not to laugh at the man's pathetic attempt at a bow.
"I thought there would be more men." Sly commented with a frown, looking around at the bored looking crowd.
"There are, milord," The rough looking man assured him with a strained expression. "but most of them are camped apart from the rest of the forces."
"Why?"
"When we began putting the word out, most of the bandit gangs in the area agreed to join the battle, but several of the gangs are at war with one another. We thought it would be prudent to keep them well away from one another."
"That's good thinking." Dar nodded in agreement. "The last thing we need is our men fighting amongst themselves."
"That's not all, though." The man sighed wearily. "They refuse to take part of any training or movement exercises. I've seen their men, and most of them are nothing more than sneak thieves and local bad boys who swagger about like their fearsome warriors. I doubt there is an ounce of real combat training among them."
"Why are all the rest of these men just standing about?" Raven gestured to the bored looking crowd. "Shouldn't they be training?"
"They should, but we don't have nearly enough weapons or armor to accommodate them all. We've been trying to make do with what we can scrounge up, but..." He held out his hands helplessly.
"We'll make sure that we obtain enough weapons and armor to outfit everyone." Damion assured him. "Just do your best to get by for now." He looked around the camp closely. "I don't see Ignan anywhere."
"He's in town at the inn. We've heard rumors that one of the bandit gangs had a surplus of weapons, but their leader refuses to relinquish any of them. Ignan is busy trying to convince him to change his mind."
"I'm surprised he's still here." Sly grunted. "I figured he would have fled the moment we left Crete."
"No, Ignan is still here," The rough looking man told them in a grudging tone. "and he's proving to be a lot more reliable than he appears. He has an amazing mind for logistics. He can tell you exactly how much food an army would need to last them for an extended campaign, down to how much each man needs to eat each day to remain properly fed. He's also a master negotiator. He's been quite busy attempting to obtain as many provisions as he can get his hands on. I can honestly say that I've never met a man as fat as Ignan that could move so quickly."
"It sounds like he's stayed busy." Damion was impressed. "What is your name?"
"Zayan, milord." The man attempted to bow once again.
"Please don't." Damion stopped him mid bow. "You're going to hurt yourself if you keep doing that." He scratched his head thoughtfully. "Why don't you come with us to see Ignan. We have some news that should brighten everyone's day."
"Very good, milord."
They quickly made their way into town and checked their horses at the livery, then, after pausing for a moment to allow Snowfeather to swoop down and settle on Damion's shoulder, they hurried into the crowded inn to find Ignan.
"There he is." Zayan pointed to the overweight merchant, who appeared to be pleading with a large bearded man who was staring down at him with contempt. "That's Brutus, the leader of the Stone Crows. They're one of the many outlaw gangs that prey on the locals in the area."
They quickly made their way through the crowd towards the pair, ignoring the startled shouts of the other patrons as they caught sight of Slither.
"I don't care what the Dragon Lord says!" The bearded man bellowed at Ignan as they approached, completely oblivious to their arrival. "I don't take orders from some freak. The only reason my men and I are here is for the loot we shall take from the Etazk's dead bodies."
"But our forces need those weapons." Ignan protested desperately. "We don't have enough weapons to outfit everyone, and more men are showing up every day! We won't stand a chance against the Etazk if our men are only armed with sticks and rocks!"
"I have given you my price." The bearded man roared angrily. "I don't care what pathetic excuses you have for why you can't pay. Either come up with the gold, or go back to that freak and tell him to find some other weapons to outfit his men." He didn't seem to notice the silence that had suddenly fallen over the crowd as Damion slowly strolled up to stand behind him, his expression displeased.
"Oh, this should be fun." Snowfeather hooted, launching himself from his place on Damion's shoulder and gliding over to settle on Damarius's head.
Sly quickly hurried over to scoop Leia up into his arms, and retreated back across the room, motioning to the others to stand aside as he ran.
"I really don't think you want to talk about the Dragon Lord like that." Ignan warned, watching as Damion stopped directly behind the bandit.
"Oh really?" Brutus snorted in disdain. "You can't tell me you actually believe those ridiculous tales about him, do you? He's just another charlatan, like hundreds of others I've seen over the years. And he's a freak on top of being a charlatan. I'm amazed his mother didn't toss him out with the garbage when she first laid eyes on him."
"Brutus, I..." Ignan's face drained of color, and he slowly began to back away, but the bandit seemed not to notice.
"That freak may have the rest of you idiots fooled, but I can see right through him. If he were here right now, I would challenge him to a fight, and take his head just to prove him a fraud. Once I was finished with him, I'd deal with that foreign whore of his, and then force his little whelp to scrub my floors for me."
"Foreign whore?" Raven snarled, her expression one of pure fury.
"Little whelp?" Leia exclaimed, her expression a mirror image of her mother's.
The bandit turned to see the companions standing off to one side of the suddenly empty common room with expectant expressions, then spun around and saw Damion standing directly behind him.
"I accept your challenge." Damion growled quietly, his eyes burning with anger. He leaned in close until he was nose to nose with the suddenly frightened looking bandit leader. "Come, take this freak's head, and prove me a charlatan." His voice was quivering with fury.
"You!" Brutus stared at Damion stupidly, clearly rattled by the huge warrior's sudden appearance.
Damion stepped back several paces and drew the mythical Dragon Sword from its sheath, then stood waiting expectantly.
"I tried to warn you!" Ignan threw his hands up helplessly, then scurried over to stand behind the others, his expression fearful.
"Damion," Damarius sighed in exasperation. "Do we really have time for this?"
"Shut up, old man!" Brutus
barked, his expression becoming one of pleasure. He kicked a table clear to give himself more room to maneuver and drew his sword. "I'll deal with you once I'm finished with this freak."
"I changed my mind," The old wizard's voice suddenly grew hard. "Go ahead and turn him into a toad."
"That would be too easy." Damion snarled, dropping into an aggressive stance. "I'm going to teach this fellow some manners."
The bearded bandit let out a gruff laugh, then charged forward to attack, swinging his sword with all his might.
Damion easily deflected the powerful blows, then kicked aside a chair the bandit tossed at him in the hopes of tripping him up. He deflected another hasty swing, then lashed out with his free hand, striking the bandit across the bridge of his nose, shattering the cartilage into a dozen pieces.
"That is for being rude to Damarius!" Damion snarled, his eyes burning an eerie red.
Brutus howled in pain and fury as blood began to pour from his shattered nose, and he staggered back several steps to regain his senses, then the bandit chief roared in fury, and charged forward once again, swinging his sword in wide arcs in the hope of catching the huge warrior off guard.
Damion quickly ducked under one of the wild swipes, and lashed out with a powerful kick that caught the bearded man square in the stomach.
"That's for calling me a freak!" Damion's voice was still quivering with anger.
"Ugf..." Brutus's face drained of color as he doubled over in pain, and the contents of his dinner suddenly burst forth to spill onto the tavern floor. He tried desperately to push himself back into an upright position, but Damion quickly knocked his sword aside and backhanded him square in the mouth with the hilt of the Dragon Sword, sending the bandit chief's teeth scattering across the common room floor.
"That is for calling my daughter a whelp!"
Brutus lay on the cold stone floor gasping in pain for several moments, then somehow managed to push himself up to his knees.
Leia suddenly slipped out of Sly's arms and shot across the common room, her tiny face furious. With a strength born from pure fury, she kicked the bearded bandit square in the groin. "And that's for calling my mother a foreign whore!"
Brutus's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets as he grabbed his crotch and fell back to the common room floor writhing in pain.
"Have you had enough?" Sly asked the bandit with an amused expression. "If not, we can always let little Leia keep going. If you think Damion's a savage, wait until she's finished with you!"
"I yield!" Brutus croaked desperately through a maze of broken teeth. "Please, no more! I beg of you!"
"Very well." Damion grunted, his face still angry. "We will spare you, but I expect to have you and your men's full cooperation from now on. Do you understand?"
"You shall have it, milord."
"Good. Make sure you give Ignan every bit of assistance he requests from you. I don't want to find out that you or any of your men are causing anymore problems."
"I understand, milord." Brutus replied in a sullen voice, slowly pushing himself back to his feet.
"You had better understand." Sly warned him seriously. "Otherwise we're going to send Leia after you. She won't be so kind next time."
Leia feigned like she was going to attack the bandit once again, sending him scrambling backwards, holding his crotch fearfully.
"Get moving." Damion told him, placing the Dragon Sword back into its sheath. "I want to see those weapons passed out among the men immediately. And make sure you bring any other supplies that may be helpful to the cause."
They watched as the defeated man hurried from the common room, then they all burst out laughing, except for Ignan, who still looked a bit rattled.
"What in the world do you think you were doing?" Raven asked her daughter in a disapproving tone. "You could have gotten yourself killed!"
"Take it easy on her." Sly defended the girl. "She has a lot of her mother and father's instincts." He gave Leia an appraising look. "Perhaps it's time she starts to take up the sword. She certainly has the attitude of a warrior."
"I don't know," Damion murmured in an uncertain tone, grabbing a tipped over chair and having a seat at a nearby table. "I never really gave the idea any thought." He glanced to his wife, who was busy assuring the frightened looking innkeeper that the conflict had passed. "What do you think? Should we have Sly start training Leia on how to wield a sword?"
"Back in Deiria where I grew up, children were given their first bows and swords by the age of three." The young woman smiled at her daughter. "I think Leia is more than ready."
Damion glanced down at his daughter. "And what do you think?"
"I don't know," The young girl murmured thoughtfully. "Do you think I can learn how?"
"I don't see why not. We'll just need to find a sword that's not too big or too heavy for you to wield."
Several serving girls appeared from the back carrying trays laden with food and ale, and they all settled down around the table and dug in, famished from their long trek from Mercedia.
"What news do you have from the Deola?" Ignan asked, pouring himself a goblet of wine and draining it dry in a single gulp. "Are they going to send their tribes?"
"It took a bit of persuading, but we were finally able to convince them to join our cause." Damion nodded, noticing the look of relief that crossed the fat man's face. "They should start arriving within the next week or so with extra weapons and supplies. Once our friend Bativa arrives, he's going to take command of the army. We need to be free to travel back and forth at a moment's notice, and I can't do that if I'm concentrating on getting the men prepared."
"How many tribesmen are they sending?" Zayan asked curiously.
"All of them."
"Oh, thank the gods!" Ignan sighed in relief. "I wasn't looking forward to trying to fight off an army of fifty thousand screaming zealots with only a couple of thousand farmers and bandits at our backs."
"Don't sound so relieved just yet." Damarius warned him wisely. "We're still going to be dangerously outnumbered. We're going to need more warriors if we want to have any hope of succeeding."
"The people will come." Damion replied confidently. "Once they realize it's their only chance for survival, they will have no choice but to stand up and fight."
The next morning, they arose to find a large portion of the men who had been standing around idly the day before outfitted with new armor and weapons, and they were all now busy training with the other warriors.
"It looks as though Brutus came through on his promises." Dar commented approvingly, watching as two men hacked and chopped at one another in a mock battle. "Some of these men may actually survive after all."
"Several of the other outlaw gangs came forth with their extra weapons." Zayan explained, hurrying up to join them. "Once word got around about how you handled Brutus, they didn't want to take any chances on getting on your bad side." He frowned. "I'm afraid we still don't have enough to equip everyone, though, and more men pour in every hour."
"We'll work on that as soon as we get back to Sevria." Damion assured him confidently. "We also sent a messenger to the dwarves with a request for all the weapons and armor they could spare. If I know Garth, he'll be sure to send as much as he possibly can to aid our cause."
"That's good news." Ignan replied as he waddled up to join them." Add that to what the Deola will bring with them, and we may just be able to arm everyone."
"We won't if we don't moving." Sly grunted impatiently. "It's still a long way until we reach Sevria, and we still don't have any clue on what the Etazk are doing."
After promising to return as soon as they could, they bid Ignan and Zayan farewell, and quickly set off towards the north with Snowfeather gliding high overhead on the lookout for any danger.
They set up camp late that evening along the edge of a narrow stream that flowed a couple of hundred yards from the trade road, and settled down to enjoy a nice stew Raven whipped up from provisions they had purchased ba
ck in Crete.
"How long do you think we have before the Etazk set out from Salastar?" Leia asked her father curiously as she settled down next to her mother to eat.
"It's hard to say." Damion told her truthfully. "Tempest managed to destroy all of their ships, but that's only going to slow them down. It'll take them at least three or four months of constant work to rebuild their fleet. They won't be able to set off until then, not to mention it'll take them a couple of months to make the journey south across the sea, that's assuming they don't stop to conquer any of the island settlements along the way." He scratched his head thoughtfully. "I would say we have six or seven months before they finally reach our shores."
"Not necessarily." Damarius disagreed with a frown. "I suspect they began confiscating every ship that sailed into Salastar after you departed. Add that to the ships that they're surely building, and they could be ready to sail much sooner."
"I hadn't considered that." Damion admitted with a scowl. "They could be here much sooner than I..." A strange bellowing scream suddenly echoed through the foothills, cutting him off.
"We've heard that scream before." Sly snarled, scrambling to his feet with his hand on the hilt of his sword. "It looks like you didn't hurt that beast as seriously as you thought."
"Back away from the fire." The huge warrior warned them, whipping the Dragon Sword from its sheath. "Slither, keep Leia safe. Don't let her out of your sight!"
The huge shadowspawn wordlessly scooped the frightened young girl up into his arms and retreated into the shadows.
"I don't see anything!"" Raven cried, staring up into the darkness, her bow gripped tightly in one hand.
The strange scream echoed through the foothills once more, this time, sounding much closer than before. The sound of huge leathery wings whistling through the night air reached their ears, causing them all to grip their weapons tightly in anticipation.
"I still can't see anything!"
They continued to watched the sky overhead cautiously, but the sound of the huge wings soon died away, and another strange cry pierced the night, sounding much further away.
Omensent: Revealing the Dragon (The Dragon Lord Series) Page 14