Omensent: Rise of the Shadow Dragons

by Barry Gibbons

  "I thought you were just going to make some noise?" Veren complained, banging on the side of his head to get his ears to stop ringing.

  Damion shrugged. "It worked, didn't it?"

  Raven merely stared at Damion with slightly frightened eyes, then turned to lead the way into the jagged hole that was gouged into the stone.

  "There's no water source for the horses." Veren reported as they scoured through the belongings left behind by the fleeing men. "It looks as though they were running low themselves." He pointed to a shallow depression in the stone floor. "It appears it may have once had a small spring here, but it has long since dried up."

  Damion frowned, then led Storm over to the empty depression. He stared at it in disappointment for several moments, then watched with surprised curiosity as the huge war horse slowly walked over and began to sniff at the stone wall, scuffing at it with one fore hoof.

  He went over to examine the stone wall that had stolen Storm's attention, and immediately noticed the stone was much colder than it should have been.

  Storm continued to scuff at the wall for another moment, then turned and nudged him insistently.

  "What is it?"

  The shaggy beast nudged him again, then scuffed the wall with one hoof.

  Damion stared at the wall for another second, then drew in his magic and sent a probing thought into the stone. After a moment or two of scanning, he located the natural spring that had once flowed into the shallow cave. He shifted a few stones deep in the earth, freeing up the spring to come gushing to the surface once again.

  "Did you find something?" Raven asked curiously, noticing his intense interest in the stone wall.

  Damion withdrew his probing thought, and took Storm by the reins. "You may want to back away." He told her, quickly leading the warhorse away from the stone wall.

  "Oh, okay," She said dubiously as she followed him over to a spot some distance away.

  "I can't believe it's already getting hot!" Veren complained as he wandered about the abandoned camp, gathering anything of value that he could find. "I've got sand in places that I never even knew I had! I would give this entire pouch of coins for a nice cold bath right now." He held up a large pouch he had collected in the debris.

  A rumble vibrated through the ground, and there was a loud crack that echoed through the desert. A small fracture appeared in the stone wall, and a large puff of dust expelled from the fissure, obscuring everyone's vision for a moment.

  "That was strange!" Veren exclaimed, waving away the dust. He stumped closer to the crack in the stone and knelt down to take a better look.

  "You may not want to do that!" Damion warned him.

  But his warning came too late. There was another loud crack, then a blast of water suddenly erupted from the wall, catching the one eared man full in the face. He was hurled backwards off his feet by the sudden gush, where he landed hard on his backside. He sat up coughing and spitting up water, his eyes wide with shock.

  Damion and Raven were laughing uproariously, watching with amusement as the Deirian struggled to his feet.

  Damion calmly walked over and plucked the pouch of coins from Veren's hand. "Enjoy your bath?"

  "Very funny." The one eared man grumbled sourly.

  "At least you should dry out quickly!" Raven giggled, her eyes dancing in glee.

  After the initial blast of water, the pressure of the stream slowly lessened until it was merely a small trickle that flowed down the wall to quickly fill the shallow depression.

  Since the cave was too small to accommodate the horses as well as the companions, they once again raised their canvas sheets to help provide shade. The cool air that flowed from the cave helped to ease the heat, combined with the the cold sweet water that now flowed openly down the wall, the campsite ended up being quite adequate for their needs.

  They left Snowfeather to keep watch from his perch in the shadows, and stretched out in the cool darkness of the cave to get some badly needed rest. They awoke a couple of hours before sunset, and each took their turn at washing themselves in the cool refreshing water of the newly created pool.

  "We should reach the escarpment after another night's travel." Raven informed them as she chopped up several large pieces of salted pork to add to the stew she had whipped up from their dwindling supplies. "It'll take a day or so to make up the escarpment, then it's three more weeks until we reach Arleia." She looked at Damion for a moment with an expectant look, then smiled as he used his magic to heat the stones beneath the cooking pot.

  "Do you think the clan controlling the area near the escarpment may have heard of our encounter with their fellow tribesmen?" Veren asked as he busied himself examining the horses for stone bruises or other injuries.

  Raven shrugged as she began to stir the bubbling stew. "Possibly, but if they have warned them, that may help frighten them into leaving us alone. They are a superstitious people and are terrified of magic users."

  "I think we should stay here for one more day." Damion decided, using a rag soaked in oil to clean his armor. "Another day's rest would probably be prudent before trying to force our way up the escarpment."

  "I agree." Veren grunted, wandering back over to join the others. "This heat is really taking its toll on the horses. They could really use a little rest before we continue. We still have a long way to go, and I don't much fancy the idea of walking."

  Raven finished preparing their dinner, then they all sat back to enjoy their meal.

  As soon as the sun set, Snowfeather disappeared into the darkness in the hopes of locating something to dine on while Damion and Veren built several piles of stones which Damion then set aflame, providing plenty of heat and light to hold off the cold.

  "You are a very useful person to have around." Raven murmured to Damion as she relocated her blankets and pack closer to the flaming stones. "You seem to have an answer for every problem."

  Damion shrugged. "There's usually a solution for most of the situations that I encounter."

  "So what do you plan to do once this is all over?"

  Damion stared into the flames thoughtfully for a moment. "I guess if I am able to destroy the shadow dragons, I will return to my home in Sevria. I'm sure they are all completely panicked by now since they haven't heard from me in a while, but I'm sure my friend Sly will be able take care of anything that arises."

  "Sly?" The young woman asked in confusion.

  "Gabriel Quickhand." He told her with a smile. "I grew up in a small valley in the Godstear Mountains, across the sea on the southern continent. As soon as I could lift a sword, my father found me the best swordsman in the land to train me in the art of combat. That ended up being my friend, Gabriel, or Sly, as he prefers." He laughed in amusement. "He threw a fit when he discovered I was leaving him in charge of Sevria. He has traveled with me everywhere since the day I first left the valley, but there was no one else that could do the job. My aunt Skie sent for her father, Damarius, the wizard who taught me how to control my magic, to help run the day to day business of the castle, but I needed Sly to remain there to overlook everything."

  "He sounds delightful!" She smiled, placing her bedroll next to his.

  Damion snorted in amusement. "Actually, he's a grouchy, ill mannered drunkard, but, on the plus side, he smells really bad."

  Raven laughed, inching a bit closer.

  "He's a loyal friend," He continued. "and one of the most fearsome warriors you will ever see! I trust him completely. I even left him the key to the treasury. An entire dragon's hoard left to us when the scarlet dragons created the new fortress, carved into the mountain side itself, to replace the one that was destroyed. There should be enough in the treasury to keep him well drunk while I'm gone."

  "So, this Damarius taught you how to use how to use magic?"

  "I started displaying my powers when I was still very young." He explained quietly. "I was sent to live in the valley with my aunt Skie and her father Damarius. He taught me how to control my magic, an
d use it to do things that others cannot."

  "And your mother?"

  Damion frowned. "She passed away after giving birth to me. The dragonspawn attack that marked me had also left my mother very weak. She didn't have enough strength left after I was born." His voice was sad.

  "I also lost my mother when I was young." She told him, her face calm, but her eyes filled with pain. "When I was six, my father got roaring drunk and beat her until she wept blood. She lingered for several weeks, but never recovered. I can sometimes almost remember what she looks like."

  "I did not think I could dislike your father any more than I already did." Damion growled in an harsh voice.

  "Aye, I feel much the same way, but he is my father, and what's done is done. I grew up learning not to cross my father, who only really cared for my brothers. As soon as I was able, I left to join one of our roving patrols which guard the trade roads and help to deal with any bandits which trouble travelers." She smiled sadly. "Mainly, it was a way to escape him and my spoiled brothers. My other sisters had all been married off to other clansmen, but I managed to escape before he was able to marry me off too. I returned six months later and laid the ears of over twenty men that I had killed at his feet to prove to him that I was a true warrior." Her eyes clouded with the memories. "It was the first time he looked at me with any interest. He actually laughed about the fact that I held more ears than all of my brothers combined. My brothers all hated me for that! I returned to protecting the roads at head of my own patrol." She shrugged. "That's pretty much my entire life story!"

  "I would like to tie the long hair on the back of his head to the short hair on his arse!" Damion growled, his temper flaring up once again.

  Raven laughed. "I would like to see that!"

  Their attention was drawn to Snowfeather, who had returned from his flight.

  "That was a short hunt!" Damion commented in surprise.

  "There are a number of large creatures wandering through the sands nearby. They appear to be some sort of giant centipedes, with armored bodies and tails similar to that of a scorpion. When they rear up their heads and forearms emerge from beneath the armor. I didn't see any eyes, but they seem to somehow take in their surroundings all the same." He fluffed his feathers in disgust. "Nasty looking creatures, they are!"

  "Have they caught our scent?"

  "Not yet," The owl hooted. "but they're heading this way. It's only a matter of time before they pick it up!"

  Damion rose from his bedroll. "Snowfeather says there are some giant insects moving this way."

  "Insects?" Raven jumped to her feet, her face alarmed. "What do they look like?"

  "Like enormous armored centipedes."

  "Damn!" She cursed, jumping to her feet and grabbing her bow. "Tremblers!"

  "Tremblers?" Veren asked, jumping to his feet. "What are Tremblers?"

  "Tremblers are something that we do not want to encounter." Her face was worried. "They are huge armored creatures that travel in swarms. First, a few scouts will appear, then more will follow until there are hundreds of the beasts overwhelming everything in sight!"

  "Is there any way to drive them off?" Veren asked, his face grim.

  The young woman shrugged. "Not that I have ever heard of. Their armor is remarkably tough and resilient, and it takes quite a bit of effort to penetrate. They are blind, but they can detect things moving from miles away just by feeling the vibrations in the ground. The sting from their tail means a slow agonizing demise from its deadly venom. Their only weak spot is their unarmored heads, which they keep tucked inside of their armored shells. They only reveal them occasionally, and never for very long."

  "They must have been miles away when they felt Damion's lightning display." Veren surmised, looking out into the cold night. "It must have drawn their attention."

  Snowfeather disappeared back into the darkness to keep an eye on the tremblers and soon reported back that there were many more of the creatures now, and they had drawn much closer to the campsite. "They're multiplying in numbers alarmingly fast! There are nearly a hundred of them now!"

  "There is an entire swarm gathering nearby and moving this way!" Damion warned the others. "Anyone have any ideas?"

  Both Veren and Raven shook their heads.

  "Can't you use your magic to drive them off?" Veren asked desperately.

  "You said they're attracted to the vibrations in the ground?" Damion asked suddenly, his mind working.

  "They can feel a foot step from over a hundred yards away!" Raven nodded, her eyes scanning the night.

  Damion scanned the area and spotted a huge boulder a few hundred yards from their camp. "I think I may have an idea."

  "Uh oh." Veren looked to Raven. "I think we may want to back up!"

  "The main swarm is less than a half mile from camp now!" Snowfeather reported, still monitoring the insects. "But there are a couple of scouts just outside of the camp!"

  "Hang on, I've got an idea!" Damion replied, drawing in his magic and focusing it on the half buried boulder.

  At first, nothing seemed to happen, then the enormous stone suddenly shuddered, shedding a fine coat of dust as it slowly began to rise into the air.

  "Whatever you are doing, it seems to have drawn their attention!" The huge owl told Damion in a worried tone. "They have all stopped and stood up, revealing their slimy little heads!"

  Damion ignored him and continued to focus his magic on the stone. The boulder suddenly lifted completely from the ground, and slowly began to rise into the air.

  "Great! He's going to squish all of the big bugs with an even bigger rock!" Veren laughed a bit nervously.

  "You want to do this?" Damion asked him in an acid tone.

  "Not me!" The one eared jaghern replied, shaking his head emphatically.

  "Then how about letting me concentrate!" He continued to focus on the boulder, which rose higher into the air.

  There was a sudden chattering sound as two of the tremblers crawled into view. Each creature was over thirty feet in length, with hundreds of legs that propelled its armored mass along at a surprising rate of speed. They paused as their front half rose into the air, revealing their armored bellies. Their heads slowly appeared from between slits in their armor as they stood slowly swaying back and forth. Their malformed, eyeless heads were a pale pink and covered in a thick mucus that dripped down in large amounts.

  Raven gasped in fear, but Damion ignored her and focused all of his concentration on the boulder, which now hovered fifty feet above their heads. Using all of his strength and magic, he hurled the huge boulder far out into the desert. It flew for several miles before impacting with an enormous crash that vibrated the earth for miles around.

  The two tremblers in view suddenly whirled around to home in on the impact site miles out into the desert. They began chattering excitedly, then suddenly drew their heads back into their slits, and dropped to the ground. They disappeared back into the darkness, still chattering excitedly.

  "The swarm is moving away!" Snowfeather reported in a relieved tone. "I'm guessing the boulder that flew past was your doing?"

  "Sorry about that. I guess I should have warned you what was coming." Damion was breathing hard.

  "That was quick thinking." Veren commented as he slid his sword back into its scabbard. "I can't tell you how happy I am that we didn't have to face those beasts! Fighting one of them would be bad enough, but fighting an entire swarm..." He shuddered.

  Raven was so pale that she looked as though she may faint.

  Damion went to her side, and looked down with concern. "Are you unwell?"

  The young girl took a deep breath, then shook her head. "No, I'm fine." She assured him in a slightly dazed voice. "I was just a bit shocked by your... power!" Her eyes went to the crater left behind by the boulder.

  After making sure the coast was clear with Snowfeather, Damion and the young woman wandered over to investigate the huge depression, while the huge owl returned to his hunting and Veren
returned to his bedroll. The crater was deep, and had appeared to have been the only obstruction to another natural spring, which had already begun to fill the void left behind by the boulder.

  Raven was quiet as they watched the spring begin to rapidly fill the void. She finally sighed heavily. "It must have taken an enormous amount of power to lift that boulder. Was it difficult?"

  "It wasn't easy. Even the smallest of tasks requires an enormous amount of effort. Most of the time its easier to do it the old way."

  She stared up at him, her hazel eyes serious. "So what is it like to have nearly unlimited power at your fingertips?"

  Damion snorted. "It's not all it's cracked up to be. When you have such a power, people expect you to use it, and usually for the wrong reasons." He frowned. "I sometimes wonder if it would be easier if I wasn't able to use magic."

  "Well, I'm glad you can," She smiled. "but I'm still going to have nightmares about those creatures for the rest of my life!"

  They stood there together in the darkness for several more minutes before they finally returned to their camp.

  Chapter 11

  They arrived at the shanty town at the base of the escarpment as dawn broke two days later just as the sun began to rise. The town consisted of several dozen rude huts built from dung and sand, and was inhabited by several hundred sun scorched people dressed in long flowing robes that were caked with grime. Most of the people ignored them as they slowly passed through the town, seeming not to care as they moved to finish their tasks quickly in an effort to avoid the coming heat.

  They had nearly reach one of the ramps that led up the face of the escarpment when several men approached dressed in filthy robes that were stained and encrusted with wine and bits of old food, overlaid with a fine layer of sand. They carried an assortment of old rusty weapons that looked as though they had been scavenged from a junk heap, and many of the men were behaving oddly, blankly wandering behind the others and mumbling gibberish.

  "You will go no further!" One of the men bellowed arrogantly. He was a large man, standing nearly seven feet, with huge hairy arms and long greasy hair which hung in long braids that reached the center of his back. He had the swagger of a bully that had never been on the receiving end of a good beating. "You cannot continue without paying tribute!"