Valley of the Black Dragon

by B A Fleming

  They had left the wine region behind, and although not difficult, service to the merchant was one of constant vigilance, although there seemed to be almost a train heading towards the city for most of the time. The days were long but the meals hearty, so Casperi and his companions considered that they were not so hard done by for a day or two.

  Temar noticed the smoke of distant chimneys first.

  “Is that Masterstone?” he requested of the merchant, even though he had been to the town many times before.

  “Yes, Imuhagh mercenary,” recounted the man, slightly surprised that his companions didn’t recognize it.

  “We will arrive before mid-afternoon. I will afford you one last meal and ale, then we shall see each other on our own paths.”

  “You have been nothing but a generous employer,” offered Aryz Coun. The merchant smiled at the praise as he whipped the horses forward for their trot into Masterstone.

  The township of Masterstone was large and centered around a square that ran a quarter a league on each side where most of the markets were contained. Spread out in the streets around it were the neighborhoods, inns, and whorehouses of the Moreans, the dwarves, the Imuhagh, and the elves, in that order, each one assigned its own side of the square.

  The Inn of Humanity sat along the frontage of the Morean enclave and was one of the few that was welcome to all. It had a Morean, an Imuhagh and a dwarf as security guards, and was often the first point of call for anyone searching for something. The merchant had left his travelers in front of it.

  They could see a wide road that stretched to the north out from the square. This was the original stone masons’ village of Froese.

  The vendors arranged themselves in some sort of ordered aisles as a pattern work of colors, sounds and scents floated across the square. Shirtless men dragged overloaded carts past vendors selling everything from trinkets to carved wooden furniture.

  Late summer harvest crops of corn, pumpkin, tomatoes and beans were still on sale along with large bags of grains from all over the empire. Vendors made bread pockets packed with questionable cuts of meat, and laced with sauces and spices. If Casperi thought the Imuhagh markets were busy, this market was thrice as large and just as busy.

  The rich aroma of roasting hazelnuts and smoked almonds filled the air in front of them as Imuhagh women purveyed beautifully colored textiles down some sheltered canvas alleys, whilst men looked at tools and weapons. Young children ran through the crowd, some in fun, and others with a more vicious intent.

  The three decided to stroll around for a few minutes, to gain their bearings. Huge stone monoliths of white with ripples of grey, tan or orange running through them sat near the center of the square.

  “You have never seen this before, have you Casperi?”

  “It seems I have never seen most things that we have come across, but this stone is the finest of all.”

  “This is marble my friend but don’t be fooled, as everyone knows that these are the pieces rejected by Emperor Lethos and his builders. The best pieces of marble are shipped directly to the city by slow wagon. If we visit there you will see the finest of all cities upon this world.”

  A dwarf walked past with a preoccupied huff as he sidestepped them. The Dwarves of Har-Koln, the mountain tribe that live in the high hills of the eastern realm. Because their kingdom sits behind the Green Deep they are rarely seen, except in Masterstone. They refuse to visit the cities of the eastern realm, so the merchants must make the journey to Masterstone to trade with the dwarves and elves that regularly gather there.

  “I will seek the information and report back to you before supper,” offered Temar.

  “That would be perfect, as then we can make plans over the evening meal.”

  Aryz Coun and Casperi continued to meander the corridors of stalls. They came to a small square where people gathered around, observing three men, an Imuhagh and a dwarf sitting around a small table, facing each other.

  Six interchangeable cups sat in front of them. Five bottles were placed upon the table.

  “It is a deadly game called roulette. All contribute to a large wager that is held by another nearby. Of the five bottles, one is laced with poison. Each will at some point be deluded by the drugging effect of the drink that has already been taken, knowing well that the next mouthful could be his last. Whilst the game is one of wits, it is also one of focus as to understand that for each of the five cups, only three doses will be required to kill him.

  Each challenger takes a turn picking a bottle at random for another to drink from. The chosen contender then picks his own cup from the six on the table. Each cup builds up some amount of poison each time it is used. If he has chosen wrongly already, with his smiling assassin facing him across the table, already it is difficult to gauge whether the contender has been affected by his first mouthful. When the first contender falls, the challenger who served him the dose wins the wager. Some can survive many duals. Some die in their first attempt.”

  Casperi looked on, fascinated and abhorred in the same moment.

  “It is mesmerizing,” whispered Aryz Coun. “Time to move on before they notice you and drag you in.”

  Within a block of the Masterstone markets, the number of stalls and shopfronts dropped off rapidly. A few minutes later and any direction out of the bazaar, a traveler was met with quiet doorways, the homes of rich merchants and overpriced hotels. Temar Bolyl slipped into an obscure inn.

  The common room of the tavern was as typical as most. A long bar stretched across the back wall, stairs lead up to

  the left and a hearth kept the place warm, which was centered on the right wall, with a large stack of wood next to it.

  Several customers looked up at him as he entered and then quickly went back to their conversations without too much suspicion.

  The drinkers seemed almost oblivious to other conversations about them, although it was obvious that more than a few seemed more interested in what neighboring tables were discussing than their own.

  “It is a foolish man who speaks without listening first!” whispered a dwarf that passed by him without looking him in the eye. The dwarf stood a few paces from him, on the edge of another conversation of a group standing, as if waiting for a table. The dwarf pulled out a pipe and started to light it. Temar approached and talked to the back of another man.

  “It is indeed a man who values information more than how it is procured that lives a less fruitful life, for the words may be without meaning if it is only the words that he seeks.”

  “This is also true my friend,” puffed the dwarf as he half turned his head to ensure Temar was watching. “As it is better to know the speaker of the words first, as to be able to gauge the accuracy as of what is spoken, then to rush in and gain nothing but an empty purse, or a punctured heart.”

  The dwarf signaled that space had become clear towards the end of a table not far from them.

  “I thought you dead Temar,” smiled the dwarf.

  “As do most,” he replied. “I have merchandise that requires special appreciation.”

  “Breathing?”

  “For now.”

  “And the destination.”

  “Hardular,” whispered Temar. The dwarf sat back against the wall, he let out a puff of smoke, drew another, and then let out the second even slower as he slyly checked the room.

  “You did say what I heard?”

  “I’m sure that I did.”

  “I can’t believe you’re not dead yet Temar,” he mumbled.

  Temar smiled.

  The dwarf composed himself, puffed a few more times and then finally spoke.

  "We have tunnels that wind down into the depths of the mountains, but none would travel them with the presence of those beastly worms that devour a dwarf in one mouthful."

  "Have you tried to fight them?"

  "That we have! But many a dwarf has been lost to their endless appetite. The more we destroy the more that appear, as if they were created from the
air itself."

  “Jotnar, we have known each other for over twenty years,” expressed Temar. “There must be a way.”

  “There must be a way indeed,” mused the dwarf.

  *****

  “See that full metal helmet there?”

  “The one with the dragon head and the wings swept down the sides of the eyes?”

  “Yes,” said Casperi. “My father told me about this, as if it was some sort of fantasy.”

  That is amulet of Sedna, the green dragon and those are royal guards of Corone. Best avoided,” offered Aryz Coun. Casperi spared a quick glance as they moved off down one of the many multi-colored alleys within the main square. He looked back on several occasions, checking to see if they were following him.

  After several minutes wandering the twisting and turning ramshackle of wooden framed stalls, asking directions, taking wrong turns and aimlessly meandering, Aryz Coun now lingered before a stand attended by a wafer thin, bony man.

  He had positioned the tables such that there was enough space in front for the sun to gleam through onto the merchandise for most of the afternoon. The gems glowed as the final rays of sun shone on them.

  The vendor greeted them with an overly joyous smile.

  “Friends of mine recommended that I find you. You are the jewel seller with the blue egg?” asked Aryz Coun, looking at the large stone that sat in the middle of the display.

  “That I am Imuhagh. Why would you wish to find me?”

  “My friend and I might have some stones that may be of use to you.” Casperi stepped forward and nodded to the man who looked him up and down.

  “I don’t recognize your place stranger,” the man observed.

  “He is from the area just near the northern pass,” inserted Aryz Coun.

  The man nodded uneasily. The sensation bothered him, as if like a small stone in his sandals.

  “We have been fossicking in the mountain caves above the City of the Imuhagh,” started Aryz Coun, “And I unearthed this.” He produced a small blue stone, slightly transparent for its size.

  “Hmmm, Saphira,” noted the jewel seller. “Small but useable.” He rolled the gem around his palm and then lifted it up into the light.

  “Eighty silvers,” he said, without looking at either men.

  “It’s worth four times that amount,” countered Aryz Coun.

  They haggled for over ten minutes and settled on one hundred and forty-seven silvers. Casperi was happy to do this as it distracted anyone from his presence in the market and gave himself time to examine most of the people around him.

  He had been watching the passing crowd and felt an uneasiness for the number of Corone guards that wandered past. He knew someone could stay unnoticed for five minutes nearby but to linger without reason was an easy measure to raise suspicion. For the first time since he left his home valley, he felt eyes upon him. Anyone looking for him would most likely scan straight past two strangers haggling with a vendor.

  Casperi then drew a large green jewel from the depths of his bag. It was twice the size of the one produced by his companion. The seller was far more interested in this piece and with the help of Aryz Coun he was able to secure three hundred and thirty-eight silvers for the gem. Casperi had noted that more Corone guards had appeared in the intervening time that they had been with the jewel seller.

  Casperi pretended to be looking in his bag as three others walked straight past him. After they were thirty paces past him he gently tugged Aryz Coun on the elbow and they

  turned and disappeared into the alleyways in the opposite direction.

  *****

  King Edward stood on his balcony. The cold wind blew along the valley and he pulled his thick cloak around him. He searched the skies, eventually seeing the small puff of flames let out by the black dragon to signal its impending arrival. Edward made his way inside and through the corridors to the upper parapet.

  There was no doubting that he had grown fat and sometimes purple colored on cold winter mornings. He now heaved around his haughty structure with flamboyant disregard.

  Arthung had landed by time he had arrived.

  “You are getting old, King. You used to easily beat me to this terrace.”

  King Edward was tired and the cold air had started to settle through his bones as he had awaited on his balcony.

  “What news great Arthung?”

  “What, no courtesies King?”

  “I am cold and my bed seeks me.”

  The dragon laughed. “You humans are a strange creature. I have tried to sleep upon birds but found no comfort.”

  “What news of these intrusions? I have concern of what these will do to my kingdom.”

  The dragon considered the King.

  “I am not worried about these intruders as they will kill each other. This news is good for you great king as you can then replace them with people of your choosing. You can then take these lands back for yourself.” The dragon smiled at him as the King thought about this.

  “Yes,” he finally said. “You make a good point great dragon.”

  Chapter 23

  He stole a glance and looked across to where several of his chasers were trying to cut him off. The ground turned to sand beneath them, and they instantly sunk and struggled with each step as he continued, out striding them as the gap between widened dramatically. He pushed through it and onto a hard surface once again. After a few minutes, he had crested a small hill, glanced back at his pursuers, and kept going.

  The chasers doubled back and rounded the soft sand onto rockier terrain once more. They approached the top of the hill to see the forest scattered before them. The trail led straight down into the shadows and they would have to cut their own trail through the expanse of tree trunks and shadows.

  The chase was over for now, and with a nod Curran watched the trackers before indicating for his men to move deeper down through the trees. A slight breeze wafted down the hillside, through the branches and out across a small clearing. It stirred the mist that had laid across the grass since early twilight.

  Curran had chosen to sneak towards the road to check who was using it. He had been unlucky to accidentally stumble on two soldiers who had wandered off from the main group. He now led his team again, reaching the edge of the forest. He paused and listened.

  The sounds of nature had quietened, and he knew that was a sign that someone else was near which enabled all nearby animals, including himself, to hear who the intruder was. A dog stopped and observed him. He gave a signal of hands pressed towards the ground, indicating calmness. The animal looked at him once more and kept along its way, content that he was no threat.

  The heavy foliage hid him from view. The sound of four soldiers could be heard. They were completely indifferent to anything around them and talked and joked with each other as they walked past Curran, within ten feet of where he was crouching.

  As a precaution, he lightly stepped back into the deeper shadows.

  He listened to what they were saying and quickly realized it was of no consequence. The other soldiers that had been chasing him arrived. The four closest reported that they had seen nothing. All soldiers then headed off to continue their search.

  Once they had vanished out of sight, he set off behind them, sticking to the softer shadows along the edge of the road. With the moonlight, it would be a balance between the relative safety of the forest shadows and the ease of movement along the edge of the dirt road.

  *****

  Soze stood guard with Orate whilst the others ate. The party sat around the campfire. They had sought the trails deep into the forest once more. Thais had been staring at the ground for quite some time, and Gameard sat quietly with her. He had become almost akin to a bodyguard for her as the expedition progressed. She enjoyed his presence and now saw him like an overly protective uncle.

  “I’m wondering if Casperi is still okay. I sense him, but he seems far away. He has always felt so close, but now not so,” she finally offered.
<
br />   “I think you beat yourself up about your brother too much lass,” observed Gameard. “He is responsible for his own trouble. Don’t be too worried, as you will see him when you see him.”

  “Maybe I should distract you with another lesson,” proposed Eren, overhearing the conversation. Both looked up at him.

  “That would be a good idea,” agreed Gameard.

  Thais and Eren walked across to another part of the small clearing the party had stopped in and sat down next to each other. Eren smiled.

  “You have developed a loyal band of men, Princess.”

  She looked at Eren, and then to the ground again.

  “Let’s start with some small focusing exercises,” he mind-spoke to her. He asked Thais to make a small fire in her hand, to shake a small branch of a tree sitting ten feet

  away. She started then and stopped the exercise.

  “I feel embarrassed when I fail. I don’t want them to know how vulnerable I feel.”

  Eren laughed at this.

  “You are, undoubtedly, the scariest woman any of these men have ever met.”

  “And Dralan?” she looked up at Eren.

  “We can only ever be someone’s perception of us. We change in their eyes only through the change in their perception of us. You see him both through his actions towards both you and others, and what you imagine him to be. He does the same.”

  He looked across to the small branch of the tree and gently pointed at it. Thais focused again, and after a few attempts got the branch to commence shaking.

  “How do you feel after doing these exercises?” Eren asked her.

  “I actually feel a lot better, more energized I guess.”

  “Yes, good,” he replied. “The first spark of magic gives you that energy, the vitality, but be careful as using too much energy can unbalance our own natural flows.”

  “So, I should conserve my energy then?”