Darkken put a hand to her mouth. “Please, we are all we have left. Let’s not argue with one another. The reason I have not revealed my powers is, as I said, I didn’t want to tip off the Caligin. The less they know about our resources and powers, the better.” His eyes drifted over to the Caligin prisoner. “Speaking of which. We need to deal with this one. I bet he knows where Chazzan is.”
The elf narrowed his eyes on Darkken.
“Nath, you might not want to come along for our interrogation. I’d hate to subject you to something that you are not comfortable with.”
“You’re going to torture him, aren’t you?” Nath said.
Darkken replied with an exhausted look. “I promise you that we will do no worse to him than he would do to us.” He stood and lifted the prisoner to his feet. “Come along, Maefon. Let’s extract what we need and move on. You’ll keep an eye on Sigourney, won’t you, Nath?”
He waved them off. “You take care of him. I’ll look after her.”
CHAPTER 73
Darkken and Maefon dragged the Caligin prisoner back into the dungeon. The two elves that had survived a beating from Reaver and Slaughter were still in their cell but had managed to prop themselves up against the wall. Darkken shoved the Caligin into it. “It hasn’t been one of our better moments. That much is certain. Stay put.” He looked at Maefon. “Come, let’s talk.”
They huddled in another cell and sat on a rotting wooden bench. Darkken rested his face in his hands. He started to chuckle.
Maefon gave him a funny look. “Are you all right?”
Darkken looked at her with a radiant smile. “I haven’t felt so alive in a long time. That, my dear, was harrowing.”
“So, this wasn’t all part of your plan?”
“Everything was a part of my plan, except for the flayer. That I didn’t see.” He laid his hand on her knee and squeezed. “Remember, no matter how perfectly laid your plans are, anything can happen. We are fortunate to be alive.” He rubbed her thigh. “Very fortunate.”
Darkken’s words gave her a chill. She’d never seen him vulnerable before. He was a titan among the races, fearless, wise, and strong. But the flayer shook him. “So, if Nath and I hadn’t intervened, the flayer would have defeated you? Killed you?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t died before, so it’s very hard to say. Nath’s sword, now that was a gift that gave us the break we needed. It’s a truly special gift that protected him. If not for Fang’s intervention, I might have had to reveal my full power to get us out of the predicament.”
“So, you were in control?”
“I could have called down Galtur and perhaps done a few other things. I held the line as long as I could. It was… risky.”
“How did you know what a flayer was?”
“Ha, you would have known what one was too if you had only read more of the tomes back at Stonewater Keep. I’ve studied and compiled information about every living creature on Nalzambor I could find. The flayers, well, their origins are still strangely unknown. Some say they are spawned from the great krakens of the sea. Others say they came from the stars in the sky. Nevertheless, I hope I don’t cross their path again. They are dangerous.” He wiped the caked blood from his nose. “It made me bleed. I don’t like that.”
“It looked like it was swallowing you whole. Was it eating you?”
“The flayer started devouring my knowledge. That’s how they conquer. They absorb our thoughts, learning our strengths and weaknesses.” He coughed and tapped his chest. “It’s a good thing I was able to kill it.”
“How did you kill it?”
“My will was stronger. And physically, they are weak. Shooting those explosive arrows made a difference. It let me get a grip on it. A very good thing too. Had it absorbed my knowledge, it also would have absorbed my plans and all I knew about the dragons. With that sort of knowledge, they could destroy the world.”
“Isn’t that what you want? To destroy the dragons and the world?”
“No, I want to destroy Balzurth and rule the world.”
They sat in silence. Maefon pondered all that he had said. She found another level of respect for Darkken. The flayer had showed power beyond anything she’d imagined. It shook her. With mere thought, it almost killed them all. Darkken defeated it. She had the feeling that he still held back to fulfill the deception. For Darkken to hold the line, risking his own death, meant only one thing. Darkken’s quest was for true power, beyond anything she could ever hope for. She liked it.
“I think it’s time to move on to the next phase in the plan.” Darkken stood and helped Maefon to her feet. “Are you ready?”
“Always.”
***
The small fort had become a graveyard. Already the flies were gathering over the fallen bodies. The wind died down. A new stink lingered within the walls. Nath gathered his sword and backpack. He added the black quiver and arrows to his armament. He twirled a black-tipped arrow between his fingers.
I can’t believe we killed all of these people.
His stomach remained queasy. Part of it was hunger. The other part was the muffled screams coming from the dungeons. Nath tried to tell himself that the elf deserved it—all of them did for killing dragons. Regardless, it didn’t sit well with him. He looked toward the tunnel and shook his head. A scuffle behind him caused him to turn. Sigourney was moving. He trotted over to her.
Sigourney sat up, leaning back on her hands. Her pupils were huge. Blinking, she looked at Nath. Her face, though beautiful, now sagged and was haggard, and her damp, curly hair clung to her face. She fished a long strand of hair out of her mouth.
Nath took a knee in front of her. “Do you know what happened here?”
Her head slowly swiveled on her shoulders. Surveying the corpses, she said, “You killed them all. Reaver. Slaughter. You killed them.”
“You didn’t give us much of a choice,” he said. “We gave you a way out. You didn’t take it.”
With a lost look, she said, “I saw it all happen, but it wasn’t me. I was something else.”
“Something called a flayer took you over. Darkken killed it. It’s gone now.”
“It was powerful. I felt like a god. It let me do incredible things.” Her fingers played with the medallion on her chest. “All of this time, I thought the power of this medallion gave me the additional power.” She tilted her head. “It was the flayer?”
“Apparently so.”
She shivered. “I feel invaded.”
“Now you know how the dragons you poach feel. It’s unsettling, isn’t it?”
“I’m a merchant. It’s what I do. You have a peculiar affection for dragons. I like your passion. It’s a shame we aren’t on the same side of the fight. We could work wonderfully together, and I could teach a young man like you very much.” She reached for his face. “Very much.”
Nath pulled back. “After all of this, you will continue all that you do?”
“I will unless you kill me, but I don’t think you will do that.” She looked over his shoulder, toward the tunnels. “Where are the others?” A loud, painful howl echoed out of the tunnel. “Oh, I see. So, am I going to be tortured?”
Nath shrugged. “You should be.”
“I’m not very comfortable letting someone lay their hands on me if I don’t want them to. And I am the Merchant Queen. Torturing me would be a crime.”
Nath glared at her. “Torturing dragons is a crime where I come from.”
Taken aback, she said, “You are a fierce young warrior. I like the fire in those beautiful golden eyes. I’m not sure what you are after, but I’m not going to stick around to find out.” Her fingers quickly rubbed the medallion. She winked at Nath. “Goodbye, Nath. Perhaps we will meet again on better terms.” Her body faded.
Nath reached for her. His arms passed right through her disappearing body. Sigourney the Merchant Queen was gone. “Gads!”
Almost an hour later, Darkken and Maefon emerged from the
tunnel. They were alone. “Where is Sigourney?” Darkken asked.
Nath sat on the ground with his arms locked over his knees. “It seems that her medallion had magic powers after all. She rubbed it and disappeared.”
“Sultans of Sulfur,” Darkken said. “I should have known better. Certainly the Merchant Queen would have extra protection. Regardless, Nath, this is not your fault. We saved the dragons, and now we can move on.” He walked over to Nath, offered his arm, and helped him to his feet. He hugged Nath. “Thank you for saving me. Both you and Maefon are my heroes.”
Nath hugged him back. Breaking off the embrace, he asked, “Now what? Did you learn anything from the Caligin?”
Darkken nodded. “He revealed to us the location of one of Chazzan’s hideouts.”
“Where is it?”
“West,” Darkken replied, “in a place called Stonewater Keep.”
CHAPTER 74
Dragon Home (aka the Mountain of Doom)
Slivver, Nath’s silver-shade dragon brother, roamed the massive hallways of Dragon Home. Clawed hands behind his back, the slender dragon of brilliant silvery scales walked upright like a man, dragging his tail behind him. For over two years, he had been worrying about Nath. His brother, the one destined to take the throne, was out in the deadly wilderness of the world, all alone. He passed by a group of dragons wandering the same halls on all fours. None of them spoke.
After the fledglings had been killed, many dragons had taken sides, and they were not speaking to one another. The High Council of Dragons ordered silence about the matter too, until Balzurth returned. In the meantime, they had banished Nath for one hundred years, as all dragons within were forbidden to leave, and none were allowed to enter. Though time was fleeting for a dragon, and two years was a drop in the bucket, it had been torture for Slivver.
The long-necked eight-foot-tall dragon sighed.
“Must you be so depressing?” a voice asked from behind him.
Slivver turned his serpentine neck.
It was Master Elween, a dark-green-scaled forest dragon. She was built much like him, walking upright, showing the hard, pale-green scales of her belly. Her long black eyelashes blinked. “And you are making a rut in the halls. Why don’t you come and train with me awhile?”
“Train for what?” he said. “Waiting for Balzurth to return?”
“He’s not been gone very long at all. Why don’t you nap or hibernate like the others? I’ll wake you when he comes back.”
“I can’t sleep, not with Nath out there all alone with no one to help.”
Master Elween let out a humph. “I have prepared Nath for many things. And you are the one that is always gone. Nath, I’m certain, is fine. After all, he was trained by a great weapon master. Me.”
“It takes more than weapons to survive the world of men. It takes wisdom.” Slivver’s wings unfolded and closed. “The world of the races is nasty and devious. I’ve been among them, I know. And this sinister group that I learned about, the Caligin, are the very root of evil.”
“Evil elves. Who knew?”
“Yes, who knew?”
A cavernous voice echoed down the hall. “Slivver. Master Elween. Come.”
Master Elween’s eyes became saucers. “Balzurth has returned!”
Slivver spread his wings wide and flew down the hall, not stopping until he came to the throne room’s gargantuan doors. One of the doors was open. The High Council of Dragons exited, one at a time, necks and heads low, and slipped away into the darkness of the halls.
“Enter.”
Together, Slivver and Master Elween entered the throne room of Balzurth. The door closed behind them. Piles of treasure as far as the eye could see filled the massive chamber. Jewelry and gems twinkled within the golden piles. Straight ahead, on a backless throne, sat the monstrous red dragon, Balzurth. Even sitting, his massive frame was still over thirty feet high. His great jaw rested on his fist. The gold in his eyes burned.
Slivver and Master Elween stopped in front of the throne, and like tiny children in the dragon king’s midst, they took a knee and bowed.
“Rise.” Balzurth’s powerful voice was quieter this time. He looked down on them with disappointment. “I return from the murals only to find Dragon Home in complete chaos. The High Dragon Council has informed me of all that has transpired, and I’m not very fond of their perspective on the matter. Nevertheless, they did what must be done and avoided chaos.”
Balzurth’s eyes bore down on both of them before fully landing on Slivver. Slivver’s wings tightened over his back, and he averted his eyes.
“Slivver, you did well defending your brother,” Balzurth said. “The High Dragon Council mean well, but sometimes they are blinded by their preconceptions. I can understand their prejudice against Nath, given what has happened in the past. If not for your defense, they would have made an example of him, and I would have been helpless to do anything about it. I thank you.”
Slivver swallowed. “You’re welcome, Father. I’m glad that you have returned.”
“Yes.” Balzurth leaned back and scratched his chin with his claws. His eyes swept the room as if he was searching for something he had lost. “I wish I could have returned sooner, but it didn’t seem as if I were gone so long. Perhaps a day or two. The matters beyond the mural are quite different. But the past is the past. We must deal with the matters at hand. What can you tell me about Nath and the Trahaydeen that would be helpful? The High Dragon Council was not very forthcoming.”
“I told Nath about your other son, the one like him who killed the fledglings the first time. I told him about a movement of dark elves I came across called the Caligin,” Slivver admitted. “I fear I told him too much, or he might not have left, but he was determined to avenge the dragons and clear himself in the eyes of all of the doubters. I’m sorry. I should have kept those things to myself, but Nath seemed so confused.”
Balzurth nodded. “No, you did the right thing. Nath needed to know. I just wish I would have seen this coming. The Trahaydeen even fooled me. I adored the one, Maefon, but I gave Nath one command. I told him, do not leave Dragon Home until I return. The circumstances don’t matter. He disobeyed, and there is a price for disobedience that we all must pay. Sometimes we learn from it. Other times, we die first.”
Slivver and Master Elween exchanged a quick glance.
“My king, Nath is not dead, is he?” Master Elween asked.
“No,” Balzurth responded. “I can still feel him. He lives. Where he lives and his condition, I do not know. My heart feels him.”
“Now that you have returned, can you let us leave to find him? I can bring him back. And if I could access the Chamber of Murals, it would make it quicker. The High Dragon Council has banned me from the use of them.”
“Now that I have returned, all dragons are free to come and go as they please.”
Slivver and Elween showed smiling dragon teeth.
“But Nath’s banishment remains. He cannot return.”
Shoulders slumping, Slivver said, “What? You can’t undo it?”
“I have to respect the decisions of my appointed leaders, and Nath made a poor decision. He should have stayed. I knew someday something like this would happen, just like it happened before with my fallen son. I fear that he is behind this.” Balzurth eyed Slivver. “I think you figured that out for yourself.”
“It’s a guess, but who else would have the knowledge to attack Dragon Home?”
“Yes, I see no other conclusion. I fear this all was a clever design to roust Nath out of his home.” Balzurth rested his hand on the curled arms of his throne. “We can only hope Nath is not lost to his brother’s causes.”
“And if Nath sides with his brother?”
“Then Nalzambor and the dragons therein are doomed.”
“Well, let’s send out the dragons and put an end to this menace,” Elween said.
“I have a dozen silver shades at my disposal, Father. We will leave at once,” Slivve
r added.
“No!” Balzurth shook the great horns on his head. “It is not that simple. This is a matter of the heart, a test where Nath must choose between good and evil. He will be tempted and tried. This walk, he must walk alone. He made that choice when he left.”
“But he has no help,” Elween said.
“I would not leave my son abandoned without a helper. I cannot send an army of dragons, but I can send some of his dearest friends. If you choose, the both of you may go after him.”
Slivver and Elween slapped their paws together. Their tails clapped on the floor.
“Can we use the Chamber of Murals?” Slivver asked.
“You cannot. This mission is a discreet mission. I don’t want the High Council of Dragons knowing. My fear is that there may be more spies among our brethren, and I need to stay here and find out who they are.” Balzurth lifted a clawed finger. “And you will need help from the world of the races. After all, dragons can’t go wandering the streets of men. No, you will need to find someone that you can trust. Start with a family that the dragons have always been able to rely on. The Bolderguilds.”
Slivver slapped his scaly face. “No, not Brenwar.”
“Who is Brenwar? What is a Bolderguild?” Elween asked.
Letting out a long, disappointed sigh, Slivver replied, “Just the slowest, crankiest bearded curmudgeon the world has even known. Father stuck me on one mission with him before. It made the days seem like years.”
“Brenwar’s an acquired taste, Elween. I think you’ll like him,” Balzurth said.
“Sure, if you like boiling water poured in your ear canal.” Slivver picked at his ear hole. “If it wasn’t for Nath, I wouldn’t do it. Is there any more notorious ilk who will be tagging along for the journey?”
“Hopefully, you will find more friends along the path.”
“Ha. With friends like Brenwar, who needs enemies?” Slivver looked at Elween. “Let’s get this over with.”
Deadly: The Odyssey of Nath Dragon - Book 3 (The Lost Dragon Chronicles) Page 23