Omensent: Rise of the Shadow Dragons

by Barry Gibbons

  "Enough playing, children!" Lady Skie chided disapprovingly. "That is not a toy!"

  "Hey! Don't I get a turn?" Dar objected.

  "Ah, she's right." Sly said regretfully as he hopped down from the machine. He looked to Damarius. "Can you make more of them? I would really like to have a number of these set up to over look the city!"

  The old wizard nodded. "I'll see what I can do. Now that I know that the design works, it shouldn't be a problem to build a number of these machines in short order."

  "Do you really think it would be powerful enough to actually kill a dragon?" Lady Skie asked as they all slowly began to make their way back to the castle.

  "I would think so, but I'm not exactly sure. Dragon scales are as strong as steel! I'm afraid that the only way to find out if it's effective is to test it on a real dragon."

  "Let's hope we never have the opportunity to find out then!" Dar said fervently.

  *************

  The brood mother was lazily stretched out next to the river of molten lava that flowed through the main chamber of her volcanic cavern lair. The tremendous heat did not have any affect on the huge serpent, but it helped to detour most other creatures from attempting to bother her while she rested.

  She opened her eyes as a smaller dragon clawed its way through the narrow opening of her lair carrying a dead horse its gaping maw. It deposited the carcass before the larger dragon, then back away fearfully.

  "For you, mother." Tar whimpered, cringing back as the larger dragon's gaze fell upon her.

  "What news is there on the search for this so called dragon man?" She asked, ripping into the dead horse and tearing off a large hunk of flesh.

  "He is on the northern continent making his way through the great forests." The smaller dragon told her hesitantly.

  "So he does exist?" The brood mother looked up from her meal. "There is a dragon man, and he carries a sword that controls our enemies?"

  "There is such a man, and he carries a sword that contains great power, Mother." Tar told her. "If it controls the scarlet dragons, we do not know."

  The crippled dragon snarled, tossing aside the half eaten horse. "If the man exists, then why hasn't the sword been brought to me?"

  The smaller dragon backed away fearfully. "He is far more powerful than we could have expected! He injured Onyx, and killed Smoke! "

  "I care nothing for excuses!" She roared in fury. She stared at Tar few several long moments. "You say he killed Smoke? How is it that a mere human was able to defeat a dragon?"

  "This is no mere human." Tar whimpered. "He wields magic unlike anything we have seen, and the sword he carries is able to pierce our flesh!"

  The crippled dragon's voice grew thoughtful. "Perhaps there is more to this dragon man than I first thought."

  "The spawn are following him as we speak, keeping track of his movements until you can decide on how to proceed." The smaller dragon told her, still cringing in fear.

  "Good." She grumbled, her mind working quickly. "Order them to gather for an attack."

  "May I ask what you have planned, mother?"

  She glared down at the smaller dragon, her eyes cunning. "I think I need to see this dragon man for myself."

  Chapter 9

  "How much farther is it until we reach the border of Veiria?" Damion asked as he butchered the large buck that he and Veren had spent the last two hours tracking.

  "At least three more days." The one eared man replied, cooking a couple of thick steaks over their fire. "It is about a day's ride once we have reached the eastern edge of the forest."

  It had been two weeks since they had escaped from the Black Feather clan, whose people were still in disarray since the shadow dragon's attack. They only rarely encountered other travelers as they continued to follow the trade road as it gradually turned to the east. What few people they did encounter did not speak when they passed, instead they watched Damion and Veren warily, their hands on their weapons.

  "This meat should last us for several days, at least." Damion commented, hanging strips of the butchered deer over the fire to cook, then rinsing his hands clean in the tiny stream that ran next to their well concealed camp. "I'll ask Snowfeather to catch us a couple of quail while he's out hunting tonight. That should help replenish our supplies."

  They had been hoping to purchase supplies in a small village marked on the map they had obtained in Jaghera, but when they approached the village earlier that morning they found it destroyed and the people all dead. The buildings had all been burned to the ground and was still smoldering in many places. The smell of charred flesh was nearly overpowering, so they had pushed on without stopping, desperate to reach fresh air.

  Veren grunted, then placed one of the steaks onto a tin plate and handed it to Damion. "At least there is plenty of game here in the forest. Once we cross into Veiria there won't be anything to hunt other than lizards and venomous snakes."

  Damion quickly devoured his meal, then stretched out on his bedroll.

  "You have been awful quiet lately." Veren grunted, still enjoying his dinner. "I know that Raven betraying us that way really hurt you, but I'm sure she was only doing what she thought was best for her people."

  "I saved her life!" Damion growled quietly. "She would be dead if not for me!"

  "All I'm saying is that she may have had a good reason for doing what she did." Veren sighed heavily. "Let's face the facts here, Damion. Some people that you will encounter will always hate you for releasing the dragons back into this world. It's becoming well known that the stories of the Dragon Lord are actually true, and those who have lost loved ones in these attacks are going to hold you responsible."

  "But she pretended to be a friend, and then she led us straight into an ambush!"

  "That's not true!" A woman's voice spoke from the shadows.

  Damion and Veren both leapt to their feet and drew their swords.

  A figure slowly stepped from the shadows. "I swear I did not know they would be waiting for us!" Raven stepped into the firelight, her face apprehensive. "I had hoped to get you out of town before they gathered the forces, but my father moved too quickly!"

  Damion stepped forward, towering over the frightened girl. "Why should we believe you?" He snarled. "Your father made it quite clear that you were in on the plan the whole time!"

  "That's because he had me followed!" She protested, staring up at the trembling warrior with tears in her eyes. "They knew every moved I made! Father had already gathered the warriors when he told me of his intent. He knew I would run straight to warn you! He used me to lure you into the open!"

  Veren resheathed his sword. "How did you find us?"

  "I've been following you for days." She shrugged, still staring up at Damion with pleading eyes. "I've been trying to figure out a way to approach you without getting myself obliterated!"

  Damion turned away as he returned the Dragon Sword to its sheath.

  "How far behind is your father's trackers?" Veren asked grimly.

  Raven shook her head. "There are no trackers. Every person in my tribe is currently focused on the rebuilding of River's Pass and the removal of the dragon's carcass." She took a few steps closer to the fire, her eyes still on Damion, who ignored her.

  "You should return to your people then." The one eared man told her firmly.

  Raven shook her head. "I cannot return. My father knows by now that I have left to try and find you." Her face was sad. "He will have had no choice but to banish me from the clan. I will be killed if I return."

  "Why did you leave your people if you knew that it would mean you could never return?" Veren asked in confusion.

  The dark haired woman did not reply, but merely stared at Damion, who had turned to watch her suspiciously.

  "Oh, I see." The one eared man murmured.

  Raven blushed slightly. "I swear that I never betrayed you! You saved my life! That dragon would have slaughtered me if not for you, not to mention what would have happened to me if M
elvik and his men had gotten their way!"

  Damon stared at her in silence for several long moments. "You may as well bring in your horse." He murmured finally. "If you're going to follow us anyway, you may as well travel with us."

  Raven smiled gratefully, then disappeared into the forest. She returned a few minutes later guiding her soft footed horse. She tethered the beast with the other horses, then returned to the fire side.

  "So, how is it that we never noticed you following us?" Veren asked after several long minutes of silence.

  Damion's face suddenly grew puzzled. "That's right! How did you remain hidden? Snowfeather rarely misses anything on his nightly hunts."

  Raven smiled mysteriously. "I grew up in these forests. It is a very easy place to remain hidden, if one knows how. It wasn't too hard as long as I refrained from lighting a fire. I knew that wonderful owl of yours would be able to alert you to my presence, so I did my best to remain unseen."

  Damion and Veren looked impressed.

  The young woman's face grew troubled. "There was something else moving through the forest though. I could never get a good view of it, but it was definitely something I have never encountered before. It was almost as though the shadows had come alive."

  "Shadowspawn." Damion's face was grim. "Snowfeather mentioned that there had been several of them trailing behind us, but he lost track of them three or four nights ago."

  "What are shadowspawn?" The young woman asked uneasily. "Are they anything like dragonspawn?"

  Damion nodded. "They are much larger and far more intelligent than dragonspawn though. Their scales are as black as night, and they answer directly to the shadow dragons. The dragonspawn look upon them as their leaders, making them far more than just a nuisance. They can raised entire armies of dragonspawn and cause untold havoc!"

  Raven's face grew pale. "Where did they come from?"

  Damion shrugged. "I'm guessing they have remained hidden these thousands of years, waiting for the shadow dragons to reappear. Once the dark serpents were released back into the world, the shadowspawn reemerged to serve their old masters once again."

  They heard the rustle of feathers as Snowfeather drifted in from the darkness with a rabbit clamped tightly in beak.

  "Everything seems quiet." The huge owl drifted over to land on the rotten stump of an of elm tree. "But it's a little difficult to see much with all the underbrush." He dropped the rabbit onto the stump, then fluffed his feathers in surprise as he noticed Raven. "Where did she come from?"

  "She has been following us for days now." Damion told him, giving him a dirty look. "Apparently she found it quite easy to stay hidden from your keen, all seeing eyes. Perhaps we should get a watch dog to help pick up your slack."

  "Ha ha ha." Snowfeather hooted sarcastically. "I told you that I had the feeling we were still being followed, but I could not find any trace of who or what it was." He looked back at the dark haired girl. "She is very skilled if she was able to evade my sight."

  "She wasn't the only thing to evade your sight. There is a number of moving shadows she spotted in the forest. I'm certain that the shadowspawn are still following us."

  "Damn creatures!" Snowfeather squawked angrily. "They seem to melt into the darkness, but I was almost certain that we had managed to outdistance them!"

  Damion shook his head. "Not quite yet."

  "Is something wrong?" Raven asked hesitantly, her voice worried.

  "Just congratulating our watcher here for doing such a great job." He grumbled shortly.

  Snowfeather ignored him, and began tearing into his prey.

  "So exactly how much farther is it to the edge of the forest?" Veren asked, hoping to ease the sudden tension in the air.

  "Three days hard riding." Raven answered, her eyes never leaving Damion, who was staring intently into the fire, trying hard to ignore her. "Most of the clans have went west to Willowton, so I doubt we'll encounter anyone along the way. My father has called for a gathering of the council, no doubt to declare us all outlaws." Her face was slightly worried. "Once he has spoken to the council, half of Deiria will be looking to kill us!"

  "Your father would be willing to kill his own daughter?" The one eared man exclaimed in surprise.

  Raven shrugged sadly. "Why not? He has seven other daughters. and twelve sons. He wouldn't miss me if I were killed."

  "But didn't the fact that Damion killed one of the shadow dragons prove to them that he was trying to stop them?"

  She shook her head. "They still hold him responsible for releasing them in the first place. They wish to take the Dragon Sword from him, then execute him. They believe that once he is dead and they possess the sword, they will be safe from any further attacks."

  "Then they are fools." Damion murmured.

  "Never the less," She continued. "I would suggest that we get an early start tomorrow. Once all of the clans have been alerted, these roads will be swarming with men!"

  "Are you sure that this is what you want?" Veren asked, watching her closely. "You can still return to your people before it's too late."

  Raven shook her head firmly. "I will never return. My father betrayed me as well as you. He told me that he would not hesitate to order me killed along side of you and Damion. That is one of the reasons I tried to help you escape." Her eyes were filled with tears. "There is no going back for me now."

  Damion and Veren exchanged a look as the young girl turned away and began to weep.

  "You can stay with us." Damion murmured in a softer tone. "I believe you when you say that you did not betray us."

  Raven looked to Damion, a grateful smile appearing on her face. "I appreciate that. I know that you have no real reason to trust me, but I promise that I will never betray you!"

  They awoke early the next morning, and after a quick breakfast of quail eggs and wild mushrooms that Raven gathered from the forest in a surprisingly short amount of time, they broke camp and continued east down the trade road.

  "Is the border of Veiria guarded very heavily?" Damion asked, pulling Storm along side of Raven's much smaller mare.

  "Not usually," She replied. "but with all of the attacks, I wouldn't be surprised to find it swarming with clansmen."

  "Do you know of any other paths that cross into Veiria?"

  The dark haired woman nodded. "Several, but they will also be guarded. Once we emerge from the forest, the land gradually turns to desert. There are several rocky outcroppings that over look the area, but most of the time those watching will not bother to stop travelers." Her face grew hard. "There are not many who attempt to cross into Veiria anyway, other than slavers. The Veirians have little to trade, other than the gems that they bring back from their hidden deposits. They will often buy slaves to work in their mines, which are said to be endless. No one really seems to know where any of those mines are located, but it is said that they have entire mountains of gems hidden away in vast underground chambers."

  "Sounds like a fairy tale to me." Veren commented with a snort.

  Raven shrugged. "The gems that they use to purchase slaves are real enough, and of the finest quality, but they only allow a small amount of the stones to be used. The rest are apparently used as offerings in their rituals to their ancestors." She suddenly reined in her horse, her face worried.

  "What is it?" He asked, watching as she scanned the forest ahead with a look of concern. "What's wrong?"

  "Something doesn't feel right." She murmured quietly. "It's a little too quiet, and there is a peculiar scent in the air."

  Damion stared at her thoughtfully for a moment, then glanced up at Snowfeather, who was perched on his shoulder, his head tucked beneath one wing. "Would you take a look, and let us know if you can see anything?" He asked politely, knowing the huge owl had been working for weeks with very little sleep.

  "I suppose," Snowfeather yawned as he stretched his wings wearily, then launched himself into the air. "but we need to talk about taking some time off after this is all over."
/>   "Where is he going?" Veren asked curiously.

  "He's going to take a look around." Damion replied, still watching the young girl closely.

  It was only a few moments later when the huge owl reappeared, swooping low over their heads. "Dragonspawn!" He warned with a hoot. "Dozens of them! Led by ten or twelve shadowspawn!"

  "Where are they?" Damion asked, his hand flashing to the hilt of the Dragon Sword.

  "All around you! They're keeping pace with you in two groups, one on either side of the road, and appears they blocked the road ahead! They already have you surrounded!"

  "It seems that we're surrounded by dragonspawn." He told the others in a quiet voice. "They are keeping pace with us, just out of sight."

  "Why haven't they attacked yet?" Veren asked, reaching for his sword and staring closely into the underbrush.

  "There's a road block ahead. I would guess that they plan on attacking once we reach it."

  "What do we do?" Raven asked, trying to look casual as she readied her long bow. "Do we turn back, or try to fight our way through?"

  They both looked to Damion, who was thinking quickly.

  "Let's get a look at this barricade." He decided, nudging Storm ahead at a trot.

  They crested a hill and found their way blocked by a barricade that had been constructed of huge logs freshly cut from the forest and stacked atop one another.

  "Are there many dragonspawn hidden behind the barricade?" Damion asked Snowfeather, who was hidden in the safety of the canopy above.

  "About twenty of them, plus four or five of the shadowspawn!" The snow owl told him in a worried tone. "What are you planning?"

  "I think I'll remove that barricade." Damion grinned suddenly. "Just stay somewhere well out of the way."

  They cautiously approached the road block, ready to act at the first sign of attack. They stopped about two hundred paces from the log barricade and Damion pulled the Dragon Sword from its sheath.

  "What are you planning?" Veren asked, recognizing the look on Damion's face.