Terror At The Temple (Book 3)

by Craig Halloran

  “You’ll wish I used the sword soon enough, Fool,” he growled at me. “Now I’m going to tear you to pieces!”

  Claws and teeth bared, he sprang. I dropped on my back, jammed my boots in his gut, and launched him head over heel. He crashed to the ground and howled. Not like I would, but with the strange high-pitched howl of a jackal.

  He gathered himself, eyes filled with rage, and came again. Legs and arms ripping up the ground like an animal. I braced myself.

  Slam!

  I gave it all I had. I punched, kicked and clawed.

  He bit, ripped and howled.

  Blood was in my face. My blood, not his; I was sure of it. I walloped him in the jaw with my Dragon fist, snapping his head back. I drove the heel of my other palm in his gut.

  He backed off, smiled, and spit a tooth from his mouth.

  “That’s a first. But you bleed. I do not. I cannot.”

  I'd hit him with all I had with that punch. A Dragon punch, at that―to no effect. That was the problem with the supernatural. Only the supernatural could stop it or kill it.

  “You sure you just don’t want to talk about this, Perhaps?”

  He jumped again, his full weight landing on me. He rammed my face in the dirt and jammed a claw in my leg.

  I thrashed. Drove an elbow in his ribs and rammed my head under his chin, crawling out from under him.

  He shook it off like water and punched me in the face. My nose started to bleed. It might have been broken.

  “I can do this all day,” I said.

  “Do what? Bleed? WHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOO!" He howled like a tormented banshee. "We’ll see about that!”

  I had to fight smarter. Fight harder. Or else I’d be dead in the next minute. I gasped for breath. Think, Dragon! Think! How do you beat something that is indestructible?

  I balled up my Dragon Fist and said, “Come on. What are you waiting for?”

  He came after me, claws striking like snakes.

  Jab! Jab!

  I hit him in the nose.

  Jab! Jab!

  I hit him in the face.

  He was fast, but my jabs were must faster. I was the Dragon. He was the animal, not me.

  He broke it off.

  “What are you doing, Fool! You’re can’t hurt me!”

  “Stings, don’t it?” I shook my fist. “You might as well surrender. I can do this all night, remember.”

  I was exhausted, and my knuckles ached. The Jackal was like hitting a statue, but at least I had him aggravated.

  Balling up his fists, he circled me.

  “So it’s a fist fight you want?” He smacked his together. “Then it’s a fist fight you’ll have.”

  He lunged.

  I jabbed.

  He snared my wrist in his hands.

  “Gotcha!”

  He jerked me to the ground and drove his elbow into my gut.

  All my wind left me. The Jackal had outsmarted me. Pinned to the ground, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe.

  He opened his jaws.

  I could see a tunnel of fangs in his mouth. I tucked my chin down as he went for my neck. NO! My mind screamed, but I knew it was over.

  An inch from my face, the Jackal stiffened. His grip loosened. His jaw fell open. I noticed the tip of a sword sticking out of his chest as I crawled out from underneath him. His eyes rolled up in his head as he fell over.

  Fang hung in the farmer’s son's grip.

  I scurried to my feet and watched the Jackal transform from Lycan to man, dead.

  The farmer’s son stood there, trembling, with blood on his hands. I didn’t know what to say, but the remaining Enforcers did.

  “Kill them!”

  CHAPTER 15

  “Let me have that,” I said, holding out my hand.

  “Oh,” the son said, handing Fang over.

  The metal was warm, welcoming, an old friend returned from a long trip.

  The enforcers, five of them in all, surrounded us. A few others I’d knocked down before began to stir.

  “I’ll handle this,” I said, twirling Fang around my body. Fang's radiant blade flared with light, a mix of many hues.

  All the Enforcers gaped, eyes filled with wonder and fear.

  “The Jackal is dead. Your leader's defeated. Do you want to be the first to taste my steel?” I said, pointing Fang at the nearest one. He cringed. “Would you rather die, or surrender?”

  All the enforcers looked at one another and dropped their arms.

  “Excellent. You soft bellies are not as stupid as you look. Now get in those cages.”

  They hesitated.

  “Now!”

  “We’re going. We’re going. We just weren’t sure which one,” one said, with shifty eyes and a black bandana on his head.

  ***

  I gathered my pack, grabbed a healing vial, and applied a few drops to the young man’s father’s lips. He was barely breathing, but he coughed and sputtered.

  “He’s going to be alright,” I said, extending my hand to the young man. “And I thank you. I owe you my life. That was a brave thing you did, you know?”

  His chest swelled, and he couldn’t help but smile as he grabbed my hand and squeezed it. He had a strong grip for a skinny fellow.

  “I don’t know what came over me. I didn’t even think. I saw the Jackal tearing into you. The sword caught my eye, and I was moving.” There was a watery twinkle in his eyes. “I’ve never wanted to kill anything before. Except food that is. But, I-I killed a man.” He cast a look where the Jackal lay.

  I squeezed his shoulder and said, “No, you killed a monster. You saved me. Your father. Yourself―and freed your village. One single act of bravery can yield great things.”

  Tears streamed down his cheeks as he helped his father to his feet.

  “S-Son, what happened here?” the father said, looking around, a bewildered look in his weary eyes.

  “Come on, Father. I’ll tell you all about it on the way home.” He stopped and looked at me, saying, “What is your name?”

  “Call me Nath. Nath Dragon.”

  “Odd name, but memorable.”

  I smiled and asked, “What’s yours.”

  “Ben.”

  “A fine name, Ben. A warrior's name.”

  “I’ll be back with help.”

  I gathered my armor from the Jackal's corpse. All the stitching and buckles were fine, but Fang’s tip had gone straight through the armor. A normal blade couldn’t have done such a thing. It would be a little something for Brenwar to stitch up. I bet he’s ready to kill me.

  Gathering all my gear, I made my way up the ladders and onto the catwalk. I had no idea where I was. Horses nickered along the wall, a good sign. The fort was erected on fertile land, between the rolling hills that stretched out mile after mile. Ben and his father traveled on horseback on a faint road that winded out of sight. I had a feeling it would be hours before I saw anyone else again, which left me and my prisoners, the Enforcers.

  I looked at the men crammed in the cages. There were rotten. Every last one of them. How many people had they terrorized? How many had they killed? If I could have killed them in battle, I would have.

  “And to think, all I wanted was a good meal and a warm night's sleep. Now what?”

  I would be hours before anyone else came around, and I wasn’t going to wait. I had Dragons to save.

  I said to Fang, “I guess it’s me, you and the outdoors from now on.” I slid him back in the sheath and hopped off the catwalk onto the ground.

  “Let us go, Demon.”

  It was the leader, Renny, who spoke.

  “We’ll ride out of here and never look back. I promise.”

  Ignoring him, I grabbed the cloth and threw it over the cage.

  “We can’t see! You can’t do that! It’ll get too hot in here.”

  “And you will all begin to stink really bad, too. You better hope the gnolls and orcs don’t get wind of you.”

  I covered the oth
er two cages as well, laughing at all their colorful complaints.

  “It smells like an orcen bathhouse in here!”

  “Please don’t leave us!”

  “We’re sorry! We won’t raid any villages no more!”

  “Oh no!” one moaned, “Brock just farted.”

  ***

  I was bound for Quintuklen. And I wasn’t alone this time, either. I took the finest horse the Enforcers had, a big brown beauty. I rubbed his neck.

  “No hurry, Boy. No hurry.”

  I found horses the most fascinating and noble of all the animals. Noble, strong and reliable. If you ever get a chance to know one or ride one, I suggest you do.

  North I rode. Past the trees, through the ferns, over the streams from sun up until almost sun down.

  “Wait!”

  I heard someone crying out in the distance. Behind me, a man galloped waving a rag shirt or something in the air. It was Ben. Something must be wrong.

  He came along side me, panting for breath.

  “Your horse should be panting, not you.” I said. “What’s going on? Did the enforcers escape?”

  “No, no!” he managed. “That’s fine. The legionnaires are coming to haul them off.”

  “And you rode all this way to tell me that?”

  He looked at me funny.

  “No. I’m here because I’m coming with you!”

  CHAPTER 16

  “No, you aren’t coming with me!” I said.

  “Why not?” he said, grinning ear to ear.

  Now it was my turn to gape. The young man was bruised from head to toe with a big knot on his head. He’d almost died hours ago, and now he wanted to follow me to a certain death.

  “Because you’ll die.”

  There, I'd said it. He’d just have to get over it.

  He frowned.

  “Ben, be realistic. You stabbed a monster in the back. It died. And you have my sword to thank for that, else you’d never have scratched his hide.”

  He brushed his black hair behind his ear and said, “I never really thought about it.”

  “What you did was as I said. Brave. 'Bravery is for the foolish', some say. But fortunate as well. Why don’t you just go home and enjoy your days being the hero of the village? The man that saved the town. I’m sure the milk maids would love for you to stick around.”

  A pleasant smile formed on his face.

  “I hadn’t’ thought about that, either. Do you really think they’ll like me?”

  “A handsome young hero like you? Hah! They’ll swoon as soon as you enter the room.”

  He was eyeing the sky and rubbing his chin. I knew I had him thinking now. With excitement in his voice, he said, “No! I want to go with you, Nath Dragon.”

  I shook my head. What has possessed this young man?

  “No, and I don’t have a shovel with me, either.”

  “A shovel? What do you need a shovel for?”

  I turned my steed and trotted away, saying, “To dig your grave. Goodbye, Ben. And tell the milk maids hello.”

  The clopping of horse feet were catching up. I turned.

  “Ben, go home. I mean it!”

  “But you owe me!”

  “Owe you? For what?”

  “You said, ‘I owe you my life’. You can pay me back now.”

  Great! Ben had a point. I owed him my life.

  Irritated, I said, “What do you want?”

  “Uh, well, er… I just want to go with you. See the world. Travel Nalzambor.”

  Ben looked about as fit for travel as a one-legged horse. His trousers were held up by a rope belt, and the leather armor that he must have taken from an Enforcer was too big. His arms jutted out from under the shoulder plates like sticks, and the sword strapped to his waist looked like it would pull him from the saddle. He would have been the most pathetic enforcer I ever saw.

  “Are you certain you want to do this, Ben?” I smiled.

  Reason with him. Talk him out of it.

  “Absolutely. More than anything. I don’t want to work on the farm anymore. It’s boring. I want to see the world.”

  “And you want to face all the dangers therein?”

  “Well, I guess.”

  “You ever seen an ogre pull a man’s arms off?”

  “No.”

  “Have you seen a Chimera swallow a gnoll?”

  “What’s a Chimera?”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Do you know there are goblins that eat people?”

  “No.”

  “Orcs that enslave people?”

  He shook his head.

  “Fierce Dragons that burn the living to a crisp?”

  His eyes fluttered in his head. Then he said, “Oh… I’d love to see that!”

  “Really?”

  “Well, not good people. Just ones like the enforcers and all.”

  I could see a dangerous look in his eyes. A fire. A twinkle. A zeal. Ben wasn’t going home. He was coming with me, on an adventure.

  I sighed.

  “Come on then. But I’ll not feed you, clothe you or baby you. So, you better keep up.”

  His long face lit up like a halfling parade. “Really? You’ll let me come!”

  “It’s your life to throw away, not mine.”

  “So it is,” he said, grinning ear to ear. “Let’s go!”

  I led. He followed. Over the faintest of trails we went.

  As the minutes passed and the sun set, Ben finally asked, “Er… Nath?”

  “Call me Dragon,” I scowled.

  “Er… Dragon, where are we going?”

  CHAPTER 17

  “Quintuklen, where the buildings are as tall as the Red Oak trees,” I said. “But it’s a long, long ride.”

  “I’m in no hurry,” Ben replied, yawning.

  Skinny as the young man might be, he had some grit to him. Underneath all the bruises, he probably wasn’t a half-bad looking lad, either. He just needed to eat more. Dark complected and tall, he was at ease in the saddle. His light eyes followed all the sights and sounds. And unlike Brenwar, he smiled and talked a good bit.

  “Tired, Ben?”

  “A good bit, actually. I haven’t rested since being hauled off in that cage. Shouldn’t we be making camp already? I can make a fire.”

  “What do you need a fire for? Didn’t you bring a blanket?”

  “No.”

  I shook my head.

  “But I meant I could do some cooking. I’m a good hunter and trapper.”

  “I thought you were a farmer.”

  “Well, you can’t survive in the country if you can’t hunt or fish. You’ll starve eventually.”

  As soon as the white owls began to hoot, I stopped in a grove and made camp, which consisted of little more than two horses and two men with a rough patch of ground to lie on. Ben yawned the whole time as he gathered twigs and started a fire. He did well. After a few minutes, the orange glow burst to life and the warmth came.

  “Outstanding, Ben. You are pretty handy, are you not?”

  Covering his yawn, he said, “I told you.”

  “Good, now you can take the first watch. Wake me up when the moon dips.”

  Ben had a blank look in his eyes.

  “And keep your ears open. They’ll serve you better than your eyes at night,” I said, closing my eyes. I could feel Ben’s eyes on my back as rubbed his hands on the fire.

  “I’ll stay awake, Dragon. All night if I have to.”

  I lay and listened. Chirps of critters and crickets filled my ears. All those little things that crept and crawled in the night had come to life. A burning fire offered sanctuary, but it could attract the unwanted. Good thing I was a light sleeper. And I had a sixth sense for danger. The Dragon’s Gut, I called it. An awareness I had when I slept, though I didn’t sleep much. As I drifted off to sleep, the soft snoring of Ben drifted into my ears.

  “Oh great,” I said, sitting up.

  He lay alongside the fire, curled up in his armo
r.

  “Looks like I have the first and the second watch.”

  ***

  The Pixlyn flew as fast as he could fly, covering a mile a minute. Hummingbird wings buzzing as fast as they ever buzzed before. Over the tree tops he went, scattering insects and small birds. Little noticed him. Little could see him.

  In a day, he’d covered the northern part of Nalzambor. He’d seen many faces in that day. Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, giants and Dragons, some hard at work or mischief, others at play. But there was yet to be a sign of the man he sought. Nath Dragon. He rubbed his belly, panting. The potion Finnius had given him was a nasty thing, like rotten stew boiling. It gave him strength somehow. A sense of direction, too. The man must be close. He could feel it.

  He thought of his companion, the pink eyed Pixlyn he’d been with all his life. Find the man, save her. He couldn’t bear the thought of horrible things happening to her. He took a deep breath in his tiny mouth, stuck out his chest and buzzed into the sky.

  A streak of red came at him. He rolled away, hovering in the sky. There were three of them. Each was as big as him, red-scaled and black-winged, tiny Dragons called Fire Bites. They circled, snorted puffs of fire, and dove.

  The pixlyn shot through the sky, three dangerous Dragons nipping at his toes. Fire Bites didn’t play with pixies and fairies. They roasted them and ate them whole.

  ***

  The pouring rain didn’t bother him. Nor the stubborn horse between his legs. No, as Brenwar trotted along the road, he was consumed with something else. Guilt.

  “I should have listened to him,” he growled, wringing the water from his beard.

  He had known Nath wanted to leave Morgdon, and Brenwar should have gone. Instead, being stubborn, persistent and consumed with the Festival of Iron, he might end up losing his best friend. And it might end up starting another war. Not that Brenwar would mind that. But he had to catch him. And catching Nath wouldn’t be easy. Not if he didn’t want to be found.

  Another Dragon War, Nath’s father had warned. That’s what evil wanted. Another shot at the throne of Nalzambor. Nath’s father, the Dragon king, wasn’t the same as he had been of old. Not after the last war. He was ancient, but not immortal. Brenwar sensed that the Dragon king's time on Nalzambor was coming to an end. And who would keep the peace without him there? It was either Nath Dragon or no one.