Omensent: Rise of the Shadow Dragons

by Barry Gibbons

  "N-Not true!" Sorsos tried to object desperately. "It takes time for a sorcerer to ready his magic! You have just caught me off guard. If I was allowed a moment to prepare myself, I'm confident that I..." Sorsos' voice was suddenly cut short.

  Everyone in the hall simultaneously gasped as Damion gestured at the false magician. The gaudily dressed man suddenly rose into the air with a startled yelp. Damion gestured again, and the fake wizard rose even higher until he was floating several dozen feet above the assembled crowd's heads.

  Sorsos began screaming nonsense and gibberish, pointing his staff down at Damion even as he struggled against the unseen force holding him aloft.

  The crowd gasped expectantly, but Damion only laughed again and made a twisting with one hand. The struggling man suddenly flipped upside down and his colorful robe fell down over his face, exposing his rather dingy undergarments. His elaborate staff slipped from his flailing hands and fell to the floor with a loud clatter.

  "I demand you release me!" He screamed, trying to push his robes back into place. "Release me at once!"

  Damion shrugged. "Very well."

  Sorsos abruptly crashed to the hard stone floor. He began to struggle weakly to his feet, his eyes slightly glazed. "You will pay for your impertinence!" He shrieked insanely.

  Damion made another gesture, and Sorsos suddenly vanished, replaced by a grey donkey with very startled eyes. The donkey whinnied in fear and confusion, then stood trembling from head to tail.

  There was several moments of stunned silence, then someone in the crowd suddenly burst out laughing. Others quickly joined in and soon the entire crowd was laughing uproariously. Even the royal couple laughed, though they tried their best to retain their composure.

  After several long minutes, everyone settled down. The king and queen conferred together quietly for a moment, then dismissed the soldiers who were still being kept at bay by Veren's sword.

  Veren resheathed his sword, then turned to give his king an apologetic look. "I beg you for forgiveness, your majesty," He said with sincerity. "but you must know the truth! Damion is not the threat to Jaghera! The shadow dragons are!"

  King Atorius slowly walked to the front of the platform and stared out over the crowd. "Much has happened that needs to be discussed! Let the hall be cleared so we may discuss these events without further distraction!"

  The assembled people began to slowly file from the hall, chattering excitedly about what they had just witnessed.

  "Someone take Sorsos to the stables before he makes a mess on the floor!" The queen giggled, staring at the donkey with fascination.

  Two of the guards quickly ran forward and began to carefully herd the false magician from the room.

  "A donkey?" Veren asked, giving Damion a curious look.

  Damion laughed. "A toad just didn't seem appropriate. Besides," He smiled mischievously. "I've always wanted to know if that would work!"

  "I can't believe Sorsos was a charlatan!" The king said, shaking his head in disbelief. "He had me completely fooled!" He looked over to Veren. "So why did you bring him here to us?" He gestured to Damion.

  "We had journeyed here in hopes of finding and destroying the shadow dragons that were causing all the mayhem," The one eared man explained quickly. "but once we heard rumors of war, we decided we should try to intervene."

  The king looked grim. "It is fortunate that you did. We were indeed discussing war. The attacks have grown more frequent, and the death toll is rising by the day! The people are demanding that we take action!" He looked at Damion. "Sorsos was most vocal that we should declare war. He claimed that if we were to gain possession of the Dragon Sword, he would be able to ensure the attacks would stop for good."

  Damion shook his head. "It would not have done him any good. The Dragon Sword holds no power over the shadow dragons."

  King Atorius nodded ruefully. "It's my belief that he actually wished the Dragon Sword for himself. He always seemed a little too interested in rumors of powerful objects. He always claimed it was in an effort to insure the safety of the country, but I always suspected he desired their powers for himself." He suddenly laughed. "I guess we won't have to worry about him anymore!"

  "I can change him back if you would like." Damion offered.

  The king thought about that for a long moment. "I don't think so." He decided finally. "His masquerade is at an end. It is most fitting that the form finally reflects the man."

  "I was a bit surprised at the reaction of people watching." Damion commented, still a bit wary of the sudden change in attitude by the royal couple. "I thought the use of magic was a crime in Jaghera, but they seemed almost happy to see it performed!"

  The giddy looking queen laughed again. "That's because everyone was happy to see Sorsos finally get what he deserves!" She had emerged from her hiding spot behind the throne and returned to her seat, carefully brushing out the wrinkles from her golden robes as she sat. "He's been using the threat of magic to bully the common people for years now. Everyone was too afraid to try and face him!"

  King Atorius smiled at his wife, then returned to his seat next to her. "The ban on the use of magic is centuries old, but still strictly enforced. The only person allowed to perform magic in Jaghera has always been the royal sorcerer."

  "How long has Sorsos been the Royal Sorcerer?" Veren asked curiously. "When I retired from my place as advisor to the throne, the Royal Sorcerer was an old grouchy fellow by the name Wolff. Sorsos was nothing more than his apprentice."

  The royal couple's faces both fell. "Wolff was found murdered in his chambers six years ago." The king said sadly. "His murderer was never found. Sorsos assumed his position not long afterward."

  "I still can't believe he was just a charlatan!" Veren looked to Damion, his face puzzled. "If Sorsos can't use magic, how was he able to create the flash and the smoke?"

  Damion, who was warily eyeing the trembling guards that were still watching him carefully, shrugged. "Flash powder. It's an unstable substance that looks dramatic, but cannot injure in small amounts. It produces a rather foul odor that cannot be mistaken. That's why he stinks so badly."

  The king and queen exchanged looks. "We have always wondered why he smelled so badly! Wolff never smelled like that! It was like Sorsos would wake up in the morning and roll around in a pile of rotten eggs!"

  "It's the sulfur in the powder. It has quite a distinctive odor. There was never any real magic involved in his trickery." Damion explained. "I am able to feel when someone is practiced in the arcane arts, and I could feel no such power within him."

  "How was you able to learn your magic, Dragon Lord?" Queen Ann asked respectfully.

  Damion winced. "Please, your majesty, just call me Damion. The name Dragon Lord was not my idea."

  The queen smiled warmly. "Damion it is then."

  "I was born with my magic." He explained. "I was taught how to control and use it by my teacher, Damarius. Magic is something you're born with. It is not something that can be learned."

  "I knew the stories that Sorsos had learned his magic from studying from the spell books of the ancients didn't ring true!" She exclaimed triumphantly. "There were just too many things about his tales that did not add up!"

  The king sat back in his throne, his expression thoughtful. "A lot has happened, and we should all take time to reflect on these events." He looked at Damion and Veren. "Please allow me to extend our hospitality. After we have all rested and recovered from the excitement, we can continue with our discussions in our private chambers." He looked around pointedly at the few stragglers still hanging about the hall.

  He summoned a servant who led Damion and Veren to a set of apartments elaborately decorated in finery. There was pair of sleeping chambers that were separated by a common room furnished with a long stone table surrounded by a number of plush chairs. At the back of the common area was a room with a large rectangular pool cut into the stone floor that was full of steaming hot water.

  "It was designe
d by a dwarf over three hundred years ago." The servant explained proudly. "All of the royal apartments have similar facilities."

  "I've seen this design before." Damion nodded, thinking back to the dwarven caverns beneath the grasslands of the Deola.

  The servant gave him a bit of a startled look, then hurried off to retrieve refreshments.

  After eating, bathing, and grabbing a few hours of sleep, Damion and Veren met in the common area. It was late evening, and the fortress had fallen quiet. Snowfeather had drifted off through an open window in search of his dinner, while they relaxed in the plush chairs around the stone table.

  "I wanted to thank you for remaining calm when we spoke with my king." Veren said to Damion, pouring them each a glass of wine. "I honestly thought all was lost when Sorsos ordered the soldiers to seize you!"

  "And I wanted to thank you." Damion stared at him with serious eyes. "You showed me a great amount of loyalty by trying to protect me. You actually drew your sword in the presence of your king!"

  The one eared man's face grew flushed. "It was more for my king and queen's sake than for yours." He confessed. "I have heard stories of what happens when you get angry!"

  Damion laughed, then took a sip from his wine.

  There was a knock at the door to their chambers, and a servant bustled in nervously. "The king and queen request your company in the royal chambers."

  They followed the fussy little man to a large set of chambers on the top level of the fortress, where they found the king and his queen patiently awaiting their arrival.

  "It was unkind for you to allow us to believe you were dead." The queen stated immediately to Veren as they entered the room. She hurried over and embraced him fiercely. "We were in despair over your loss!"

  Veren blushed slightly at his queen's sudden embrace. "Her majesty is too kind."

  "Oh, enough with that nonsense!" The plump little woman demanded, placing her hands on her ample hips. She smiled at Damion. "The Commander also shares the honor of being my big brother!" She explained, embracing Veren once more. "I had believed him to be lost!" Her eyes had grown tearful.

  Veren placed an arm around her shoulders. "I am well, Annie. I am sorry if I have caused you grief." He looked to Damion, his face slightly guilty. "I hope you forgive me for leaving out this little detail, but..."

  Damion nodded in understanding. "There is nothing to forgive."

  "We took some hope when we only found four graves found at your farmstead." King Atorius said quietly. "Our scouts reported that nothing else was found in the area. We knew there were five in your household, so we had hoped that someone had survived."

  Veren looked to his king. "My grief drove me to take some rather drastic actions against an innocent man. I sought to kill Damion, thinking the same as you and Sorsos, that he was responsible for the attacks. I failed, but Damion listened to my story, and chose to spare my life."

  The queen bustled over and quickly embraced Damion. "Thank you for sparing my brother!"

  Damion was taken completely by surprise. He looked at Veren and the king helplessly as she continued to cling to him tightly. They both just looked on in amusement.

  "You may as well get accustomed to it." Veren told him. "My little sister is very open with her feelings, when it comes to her friends and family. She's more like a mother hen than a little sister."

  "Well, somebody has to look after us!" She declared fiercely, releasing Damion and turning to glare at her brother and husband. She looked back up to Damion. "You will always be as family to us, and welcome here anytime!" She told him earnestly.

  Damion smiled down at her gently, thinking briefly of Lady Skie. "Your brother was simply misguided. Once he learned the truth, he realized that I hadn't any knowledge of the destruction." He laughed a bit ruefully. "I know what it's like to want to seek revenge on those who hurt your loved ones, so what Veren did was understandable."

  She took his huge hand in her tiny hand and led him over to a table that had several trays of food and a number of bottles of wine. "Please, sit and relax." She insisted, quickly pouring everyone a glass of deep red wine. "We may as we be comfortable as we talk." She hurried about, making sure that each one of them a large plate of food.

  King Atorius smiled lovingly at his wife, then looked to Damion, his face suddenly serious. "So you spared Veren's life, and in exchange, he swore a life oath to you?" His voice was quiet, and his eyes more calculating than before.

  Damion nodded. "I tried to explain it wasn't really necessary, but he insisted." He smiled. "He has since proven to be a true and loyal friend."

  King Atorius nodded in approval. "I would expect no less from my wife's brother. And I know that he would only make a life oath to an honorable man. It is something not lightly undertaken by one of our people."

  Veren sipped at his glass of wine. "Has there been any news of where these beasts are coming from?"

  Atorius shrugged. "There are reports of attacks coming from all six kingdoms. The Deirians were on the verge of declaring war upon our lands, but we finally convinced them that the attacks were happening here also." He shook his head. "As far as we can tell, they began in Arleia, far to the northeast. At first, there were only a few random attacks, but then the destruction began to spread. Soon there were reports of organized attacks by the dragonspawn, which suddenly seemed to be everywhere!"

  "Dragonspawn!" The queen shuddered, then returned to refilling everyone's glasses with the rich flavorful wine. "Vile creatures! I've heard such horrible stories!" Her eyes suddenly widened, and she looked to Damion, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh my! I..."

  Damion sighed, and shook his head. "Don't worry. I am open about what happened to my family."

  "Then the stories are true? That your mother was violated by dragonspawn?" Queen Ann looked horrified. "I had thought that was just disgusting chatter by idle gossips!"

  Damion's face was grim, but he nodded. "My mother was already pregnant at the time of the attack. She somehow survived her injuries long enough to give birth, but the attack left its mark upon me."

  "Is that where your magic comes from, and your great size?" The king inquired.

  Damion nodded again. "The scarlet dragons call me Dragonkin because they believe we share the same blood."

  "Were you really raised by dragonspawn after running off and disappearing into the mountains?" Queen Ann asked tentatively.

  Damion burst out laughing. "No, I'm afraid that part isn't true. I did disappear into the mountains, so to speak, but I was living in a small valley with my aunt and her father, Damarius. He is a wizard, and he helped me learn to control and develop my powers."

  There was a loud tap at one of the large windows that looked out into the night, and everyone turned to see Snowfeather perched on the windowsill outside.

  "That's odd!" King Atorius exclaimed. "I've never seen such a bird before!"

  Damion smiled. "That's just Snowfeather." He quickly went to the window and popped it open.

  Snowfeather hopped into the room, then glided over to land on the back of Damion's chair. "There's been another attack on a small village a dozen or so miles out of town." His feathers were fluffed in agitation, and he was breathing hard. "I made it there just in time to see the creature as it fled. It was a black dragon!"

  Damion cursed. "There's been another attack about a dozen miles or so outside of the city." He told the others. "A small village was destroyed by a shadow dragon."

  "How is it that you know this?" King Atorius asked, staring at Damion intently.

  Damion gestured to the large owl. "Snowfeather told me."

  "You can speak to animals?" The king looked skeptical.

  "I can only speak with Snowfeather." He explained. "He's my familiar. He can hear my thoughts, and I his."

  "Like a witch's cat?" The queen asked, still fussing about making sure everyone had plenty to eat and drink.

  Damion laughed. "Something like that."

  The king stared at Snowfe
ather for a moment. "Are you sure it can be trusted in what it says? It doesn't look very intelligent."

  Damion winced, and Snowfeather squawked loudly in protest. "You can trust what he says. Snowfeather knows what he's talking about."

  The king glanced at Damion uncertainly, then back to Snowfeather. "Did you actually see the shadow dragon?" He asked directly to the owl, speaking slowly, as if to a child.

  Snowfeather turned and looked at Damion. "Is he joking?" He chirped in astonishment.

  "What did he say?" King Atorius inquired hesitantly.

  "Tell him I said he's an ass." The snowy owl fluffed his feathers in irritation.

  "Be nice." Damion looked to the king, who was still staring at Snowfeather expectantly. "He said he saw the beast and tried to follow, but it disappeared into the night."

  "These attacks are getting closer and closer to the larger towns and cities." The queen said worriedly. "It won't be long before these beasts descend upon them too."

  "Right now it seems they are attacking mostly isolated farms an villages." King Atorius pointed out. "They destroy the structures, then feed upon the cattle and horses. There usually isn't much left afterwards."

  "Sounds like they're feeding." Veren grunted. "Hopefully they'll continue to avoid large towns and cities, at least until we can figure out how to stop them."

  "What about the scarlet dragons?" Queen Ann asked, finally satisfied that everyone was comfortable, and taking her seat next to her husband. "Can't you use the Dragon Sword to force them destroy the shadow dragons?"

  Damion grimaced. "The sword has the ability to control the scarlet dragons, but I don't use it. I will not force my will upon them like they're at my beck and call. They are free to do as they wish, at least as long as I continue to wield the sword."

  "You may not like it, but there may be no other alternative." King Atorius stated grimly.

  Damion shook his head. "I can't do that, but it doesn't matter. The scarlet dragons are already searching for the shadow dragons on their own. They have been enemies for thousands of years. Trust me when I say that the scarlet dragons are doing all they can to stop the shadow beasts."