Nath patted himself down. His coin purse was in his backpack, and everything was accounted for. “Those were halflings, not boys?”
“Boy and girl halflings. They start earlier in the guild.” Aric hustled back behind his table. He rummaged through his stock. “Now, let’s find something that you like, eh. I have something for everyone. I pride myself on it. You like dragons, eh?”
Nath crossed his arms over his chest. “I think that’s safe to say.”
Half hidden behind the cart, Aric stepped up on one of his crates and held out a closed fist. “Look at this?” He opened his hand.
Nath leaned forward. Aric held a dragon tooth, bigger than a coin, inside his puffy hand. “A dragon tooth. Very rare. It will bring you luck.”
“A lucky dragon’s tooth? I’ve never heard of such a thing.” Nath didn’t care for seeing the tooth, either, but like other creatures, dragons could lose their teeth, so it wasn’t half bad. Still, it was unsettling as he pondered how Aric acquired it. “What other dragon items do you have?”
Aric’s round face brightened. “You do like the dragons. Aha, I’ll make a sale now. Take a look at this.” He tossed the box of ribbons aside and pulled another, smaller jewel box from underneath the table. He set it down and opened the lid. Using his finger like a hook, he lifted a necklace made from dragon scales into full view. The emerald-green scales glinted in the sun. “This,” Aric said with awe, “is real. Magical. It will bring very much fortune to the bearer.”
Nath’s fists balled up at his sides. Inside the chest, he could see more teeth, scales, talons, and clear vials that looked like they were filled with dragon blood.
Displaying the necklace of scales in both hands, Aric pushed it in Nath’s face. “Try it on. Try it!”
Nath swatted the necklace out of the man’s hands.
“What did you do that for?” Aric said.
Taking Aric by the shirt, Nath shut the chest and held it up. “Where did you get this?”
Aric broke out in a cold sweat. “I am a merchant. I trade, I swap, I buy, I sell. It come from all over. It’s business. Will you please let go of me? I’m afraid that you will hurt me.”
Nath looked him dead in the eye. “Where did you get it? I need more details.”
“I certainly didn’t retrieve it from the dragon’s lair. I’m not such a man of action. No, I trade with many. You can’t expect me to remember all the faces. They come. They sell. They go.”
“I find it hard to believe that a merchant like you would forget anyone.”
“Look, the pilferers bring in the dragon items.” Aric’s eyes blinked rapidly. “It eventually makes its way to me, but I don’t deal directly with them. Oh, I feel faint. I’m not made for violent activity. I have many wives and children to feed.”
“Sure you do.” Nath pushed the man back. He took the chest and flung it at the man. The contents spilled out on the ground behind the cart. Nath stormed away.
Aric shouted after him, “You are a bad customer. Very, very bad customer. Highly irrational! And I’m telling the Alliance.”
CHAPTER 37
If there was one thing that always set Nath’s blood on fire, it was people who hunted dragons. Just like the slavers, the races did it for profit, but what made it worse was wearing dragon parts like trophies. Dragons were not animals. They were a race, highly intelligent, and capable of making decisions on their own. Anything that men could do, dragons could do better.
Aric’s reaction was even more startling. The man was oblivious to what dragons were all about. He saw them as some sort of dumb animal, created only to be slaughtered and sold.
Poachers. I’m going to find them, and I’m going to finish them!
He made his way back to the inn, where a crowd had gathered on the porch. The people were pushed up against the windows and cramming the doorway. Powerful music grabbed Nath by the ears and reeled him in closer. What is going on in there? Standing taller than most people, he got a good glimpse through the window. Onstage, in front of a capacity-filled room, Homer played a stringed instrument, and the light-footed Calypsa danced to the rhythm. Her body swayed, and her neck slowly rolled as she spun elegantly over the floor to the delight of the patrons. Her moves were spellbinding. Nath scratched his head.
What has gotten into them?
Squeezing through the crowd, he made his way inside, toward the stage. Pushing up to the front, he took a knee. Homer’s fingers plucked a lute of many strings as fast as spider legs running. In a cheery soprano voice, he sang to the beat of a one-armed drummer sitting on a stool, beating a tall wooden bongo.
They came from the hills, and they slunk from the caves…
In the darkness, they snatched the innocent and turned them to slaves…
With black hands and legions, they fooled all the brave…
And before long their plans started to cave.
For a hero with hair as bright as the sun
Would not stop fighting until it was done.
Dragons… Dragons… The stars in our sky.
Dragons… Dragons... They soar in the heights.
Dragons... Dragons… Mortals beware.
They have hot breath that will singe all your hair.
Run… Run... For cover you fool.
The dragons, the dragons are no mortal’s tool.
You may just see one and not know it’s there,
but you will know, if you have flaming hair.
Homer stopped playing. Calypsa swirled down into a bulb and stopped dancing. The crowd erupted into applause. “More! More! Encore!”
With an easy smile, Homer lifted his hand and nodded his chin. He handed the long-necked lute back to a man that was sitting behind him on the stage, applauding vigorously. Calypsa stood back up, bowed to Homer, and he bowed to her. They held hands and lifted them up.
Nath clapped and whistled wholeheartedly. All of the anger brewing within him had fled. Homer’s song lifted his spirits. The other band members who were sitting on the back end of the stage started playing again, and the crowd, with a sigh, started to disperse. Nath approached his friends. “That was wonderful! What brought this about?”
“I don’t know.” Homer dabbed his sweaty forehead with a handkerchief. “We passed through, heard this tiny orchestra, and I just couldn’t control myself. I asked the man if I could play, and the next thing I knew, song was pouring out of me like sweat.”
“Even I enjoyed myself,” Calypsa said as she wrapped her slender arms around Nath’s waist. “Homer’s music inspires me. And I felt comfortable around the people. I think even Rond would have liked to hear it. Homer is very amazing.”
“No doubt,” Nath replied. “So, that song you were singing, where did you learn that?”
“I just made it up,” Homer admitted. He tucked his handkerchief into his pocket. “You should have come earlier. I had many on the floor crying. I thought I better lift them up with a song that was brighter, but I do like songs full of sorrow. After all, that has been my life. So, where have you been? Where is Hacksaw?”
“Let’s grab some chairs,” Nath replied. They found a table with two chairs. Calypsa pushed him into one chair and sat on his lap. He looked at her. “Comfy?”
“Very.” She lay her head on his chest.
Nath put his hand on her waist and said to Homer, “I found Hacksaw, but he left.”
“A shame. I liked him,” Homer replied.
A waitress strolled up to the table with a flirty smile on her face and set down several goblets and a carafe of wine. “Courtesy of the innkeeper,” she said to Homer and gave him a wink. She walked away, giving him a lasting glance.
“I’ll be,” he said.
“Don’t pretend to be surprised. You knew what you were doing with your words that made the women’s legs wobbly,” Calypsa said. “You wanted to make them swoon, and you know it.”
“Well, maybe a little.”
“Homer, you little charmer. You really did win the queen, didn�
�t you?” Nath said.
“Sh… I don’t want anyone to know who I am. Word travels fast, and I’d just as soon keep my name to myself. They’ve been asking, and I told them it was Romeh.”
“Romeh.” Nath made a puzzled look then said, “Ah, I get it. But I think just Rome would be better.”
Rubbing his chin, Homer said, “Rome. I like it. Anyway, I’m sorry your friend is gone. The legionnaires are fine men. Stalwart. Faithful. One can never go wrong by having one in your party, unless, of course, the intentions are jaded.”
“Hacksaw made his mind up. I respect it. I just feel empty.”
“Let me fill you up, Nath Dragon,” Calypsa said. “Don’t let that bearded codger get you down. Give it a day, and you’ll no longer miss him. Trust me.” She held a goblet of wine to his lips. “Have a drink.”
“No, I’m not thirsty. Besides, I came across a merchant in the marketplace that made my blood boil. He tried to sell me dragon parts. Me!”
“What did you do?” Homer asked.
“I slapped them out of his hands and stormed away. That’s when I came back here. I want to find the Caligin, but I want to go after these poachers too. I can’t turn my back on the dragons.”
Homer sipped his wine. “I wish I could help, but I’m not an adventurer. I’m a man of peace, not seeking out any trouble. I can play a lute in my sleep but can barely swing a hammer. I’m only deadwood when it comes to what you are pursuing.”
“Are you leaving me too?”
CHAPTER 38
Darkken stood gazing outside of the window in his room. Maefon lay on the bed. Without looking at her, he said, “It’s a nice evening out. How about we take a stroll?”
“Certainly. Anything is better than sitting here waiting for tomorrow.” She sat up on the edge of the bed and slipped her leather boots back on. She buttoned up her black-leather tunic. “I take it this stroll is a rendezvous?”
“You should know better than to ask.”
“Sorry.”
Darkken opened the door, letting Maefon out, and closed the door behind him. They headed down the steps into the lively scene of the tavern. It was late, and there wasn’t any sign of Nath, Calypsa, or Homer. They exited the tavern, holding hands, crossed the porch, and headed into the city. He led them toward the castles that outlined the city, not stopping until the inn was far out of sight. He ducked into an alley and followed it to the end, where it opened up toward the farmlands.
Maefon glanced up. In the sky like a great bat, Galtur, the two-headed vulture, circled five hundred feet above. It had been a long time since she’d seen anything through the vulture’s eyes, and she missed using the Pool of Eversight. It prompted her to ask Darkken, “Are you able to see through Galtur all of the time?”
“Without the Pool? Ha, now that would be something,” he said.
“That’s not a denial.”
“Nor an admission. But I think you know by now that I’m powerful. Very, very powerful, but that powerful? Eh, I can only wish.” Darkken pointed to a small barn made of graying wood that leaned toward a nearby cornfield. “There.”
The barn didn’t have a door and was pitch-black inside. They entered. Maefon saw the heat of six elves waiting within. All of them took a knee and dipped their heads. It was the Brothers of the Wind.
“Little servants, what do you have to report to me?” he asked.
One of the elves, with a sling on his arm, held out the sledgehammer, Stone Smiter. He stood it up on the bottom of the handle. “The bugbear has perished. This is your gift.”
Darkken looked at the injured elf. “Well done, but I see that you are wounded.”
“My shoulder is busted, but I recover quickly.”
“I see.” Darkken took the hammer from the elf. He spun it a few times. “A powerful weapon. It sends energy right through me.” He shivered. “It gives me the tingles.” The gemstone faintly pulsated like a purple heart. “In the case of weapons such as this, many never fully comprehend their full potential. A wizard or warlock often offers additional enchantments, but the user can never unlock them. He’s not equipped for it.” He spun and twisted the hammer around his body, creating circles of mystic light. “What else?”
The same elf spoke. “The old knight moves north, riding on one horse. He would be just as easy as the bugbear to take.”
Darkken patted the head of the hammer in his large hand. “Hmmm… I really do despise the likes of Hacksaw, but out of sight and out of mind is a good thing. Too many dead bodies can come back to haunt you, and I’d hate for something odd to get back to Nath. The less blood on our hands, the better, in this case. What would you do, Maefon?”
“I hoped to see him die through the course of our adventures, but perhaps we can turn a brood of goblins after him. After all, he admires them so much. And if word was to return about his demise, it wouldn’t draw any suspicion.”
“That is a rich idea. I really like it. But where can we scare up some goblins? They aren’t so thick in this area.” He tapped one of his copper rings on the hammer head. “I think I’m going to give the old knight a pass. He moves one way. We shall move another. Besides, we’ll be able to hear him coming from a mile away if he returns. We’ll keep an eye on that.”
Maefon nodded.
In a flash of light, Darkken brought the hammer down toward the wounded elf’s head but stopped an inch from his skull. The elf didn’t flinch. “Take this hammer back to Stonewater Keep. It’ll be a fine addition to my treasury. And I’ll need another Caligin in your place.” He dropped the hammer on the ground. The gemstone went cold. “The rest of you, rendezvous with more Caligin, and tell them it’s time to prepare the poachers’ lair.”
The elves nodded, stood, slipped out of the barn, and vanished into the cornfield.
Maefon looked at Darkken. “Poachers’ lair?”
He draped his hand over her shoulder and walked her back outside. “I planted a little seed in Nath’s head today. I arranged a meeting with a merchant named Aric. This merchant exposed Nath to some dragon contraband. Oh, it turned his eyes to flame. So, now that this seed has been planted, Nath will be ready to pursue it.”
“What about his pursuit of the Caligin? I thought that was the goal?”
“I’ll bundle the mission, but the important thing is that Nath thinks that he is leading it. You know, Hacksaw was no fool. He was right when he said that our intervention was more of a convenience than a coincidence. Things have worked out too perfectly. At some point, Nath will become privy to that. That’s why I don’t hesitate to cut off the loose ends like Rond and Calypsa as soon as I can. Loose ends can be like snakes that come back to bite you. Eventually, they’ll figure it out and warn Nath, and we can’t have that.”
Walking along his side, she said, “I wish you would tell me these things before you plan them.”
“You should have anticipated it, Maefon. You need to develop your foresight and vision. None of this should surprise you.”
“I’m not surprised, I just thought we had a plan.”
“The goal never changes, but there is always more than one way to achieve the end goal.”
She stopped and looked up into his eyes. “You’re going to kill Hacksaw, aren’t you?”
“I have over a thousand Caligin, not to mention a growing network of other sources. So why not?”
“You’ve dispatched someone, haven’t you?”
Darkken smiled. “Now you’re thinking like a Caligin.”
CHAPTER 39
The next morning, on the inn’s terrace, Nath met up with Darkken and Maefon. Calypsa and Homer accompanied him. The group sat at the table having breakfast. With a long face, Nath said, “Hacksaw rode home, and now Homer is leaving us too.”
“Nath, do you have to make me feel so guilty? I feel bad enough as it is. I’m very grateful for you and Darkken giving me my freedom,” Homer replied. He’d been eating steadily and looked fuller in the face since last night. He even wore a new set of clothing
he’d bought with tips he was given after his performance. “I’m not an adventurer. I’m just a musician.”
“You’re more than just a musician,” Nath replied. “But I know you are not fit to travel the way that we do.”
“So, that was your golden voice that I heard through the walls yesterday while I napped.” Darkken nibbled on a strip of crisp bacon. “I swear, you made my limbs limp. I didn’t want to move, I just wanted to listen. You clearly have an extraordinary talent. And being a musician, I am certain, is much more rewarding that being a manhunter. Women lose their senses over a talented instrumentalist. Why, you’ll wake up to a new loving face every morning.”
Maefon elbowed Darkken. “Shame on you.”
Darkken chuckled. “Well, it’s true.”
“Maybe in the world of men but not elves.” Maefon shook her head. She wasn’t eating, either.
Homer wiped his mouth. “I really don’t want to go through a long goodbye, so,” he stood up, “goodbye.”
“What?” Nath said. “You can’t just leave, Homer. Not like this.”
“Don’t get up. I don’t want to get sappy and have my eyes filled with water. I’m free, and I’m moving on.” Making his way around the table, Homer shook Darkken’s hand. “Thank you.” He kissed Maefon on the cheek. “Thank you.” He hugged Calypsa. “Thank you.” And he patted Nath on the shoulders. “I’ll never forget you. Be careful, Nath. If I thought I could help you, I would.”
At a loss for words, Nath watched Homer walk away, hook his arms around two waiting ladies, and head down the steps, the women giggling gleefully.
“That’s gratitude for you,” Darkken said with his own mirthful chuckle. “One never knows for sure where the bird will fly once it’s let out of its cage.”
Shaking his head, Nath said, “You can say that again.” Nath had spent two years in prison with Homer, and of all his friends, he knew that man best, at least so he thought. Seeing the man casually walk away poked at his heart. And with Hacksaw gone, everything seemed even worse. Hacksaw was the person Nath trusted most, aside from Maefon. “I guess what is meant to be is meant to be.”
Deadly: The Odyssey of Nath Dragon - Book 3 (The Lost Dragon Chronicles) Page 12